


Beautiful People Beautiful Problems

by itsalongstory



Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Coven
Genre: 12 chapters in and lemme tell u it’s ALL fluff, AU, Boarding School, F/F, F/M, Fluff, but ultimately happy, i only update this at 2 am, im sorry???, some emo moments not gonna lie, theyre not witches, zoe and misty are best friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-08-19 11:55:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 27,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16534145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsalongstory/pseuds/itsalongstory
Summary: Misty Day’s senior year at Miss Robichaux’s Academy brings police cars and talk of protective custody. But it also brings strawberry pastries and promises of new beginnings. Love too, maybe.Or, the one where tragedy really does bring people together.Fluffy boarding school AU.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> The title is taken from Lana Del Rey and Stevie Nicks’s song of the same name, go listen to it- it’s so pretty!  
> I’m going to try and update this three times a week, but no promises.  
> Feedback is much appreciated and if anyone has any scene requests let me know! I fall prey to writer’s block way too often.  
> (Cordelia and Misty’s reunion in Apocalypse had me dying to write these two adorable idiots).  
> Happy reading!!

Misty groaned internally as the sound of her alarm (Songbird by Fleetwood Mac) filled the room. It dawned on her immediately what day it was: Her first day back at Ms. Robichaux’s Academy after summer break. She pondered said summer break and decided it was, in fact, the best summer yet. She and Zoe had gone to the carnival every single day it was in town and she’d filled up on pink sugary cotton candy til she felt like she would burst. 

She slid out of bed and double checked to make sure her suitcase was fully packed. It was her senior year and from what she’d observed no seniors actually arrived in their uniforms, so she opted for a black sundress and plenty of pretty silver rings that fortunately didn’t break dress code. She slipped on her black converse sneakers; applied light makeup. Her suitcase got stuck on the stairs as she trudged down to see her parents. 

She ended up kicking it as hard as she could.

“Hi, mom.” Misty greeted as she locked eyes with the older woman. 

“Morning, sweetheart. Are you all packed and ready?” Her mother kissed the top of her head and Misty smiled, ever grateful to have people who truly cared about her.

“All packed and ready!” She grinned.

“Someone’s on time for once.” Misty’s father appeared, a smirk evident in his voice. She smacked him playfully on the bicep.

“I’m always on time!” 

 

Misty kept unlocking and locking her phone as her father drove her around the parking lot of the academy, looking for a space. 

“Mist, why on earth do you keep checking your phone?” He asked. Misty frowned slightly.

“Zoe won’t text me back. She and I were s’pposed to meet outside.” 

Her father looked at her sympathetically. His daughter was undoubtedly sweet, and he never worried about dropping her off to the school and not picking her up til months later.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll be waiting for you.” He finally found a parking spot, and helped Misty with her suitcase. “Jeez, this thing is heavy,” he laughed.

“It’s all my shoes.” His daughter remarked, angelic grin on her face. 

“Of course.” 

Misty turned to see her favorite teacher, Miss Cordelia (they were all on first name basis, but Misty had the habit of calling all of her professors “miss”) exiting her vehicle roughly two spots away. She was a student teacher last year, just out of college, and decided to keep the position for at least another year. Misty jumped up and down before shouting, “Hey Miss Cordelia!” and smiling and waving at the slightly older blonde. Cordelia looked briefly confused before spotting the young girl, but then smiled and waved back. 

“I’m so excited for Miss Cordelia’s class this year, dad.” Misty gushed. She began rolling her suitcase towards the school, and her father followed. 

“I’m glad. She seems to really like you.”  
Misty didn’t quite know how to respond. 

“Well, I sure hope she likes me. She’s the best teacher I ever had. It’s so great how she teaches, dad. It’s so interestin’ you wouldn’t believe!” The young girl was interrupted by a call of her name.

“Zoe!” She squealed, abandoning her suitcase and running to hug her best friend. “You didn’t text me back.” Misty pouted, a face akin to a sad puppy, and Zoe felt the guilt pour through her.

“I’m sorry, Mist. My phone died right before I was leaving this morning. I forgot to plug it in overnight.” 

Misty’s frown turned almost immediately to a smile, previous subject forgotten. “I’m so excited to be back to school.” Her accent was even heavier when she felt strong emotions- happiness, sadness, anger, you name it.

“Me too.” Zoe replied. “We have almost all our classes together, right?” Misty nodded.

“Are you good to go then?” Misty’s father interrupted, and Misty gave him a toothy grin before hugging him. 

“Yep! Thanks for dropping me off, dad.” Misty waved as he walked away, and she and Zoe began to ascend the stairs leading to the main entrance of the school. 

 

“I’m glad they let us room together.” Misty said as she fell back onto her freshly made bed on the far left of the room. Zoe mirrored her actions on her own bed.

“Yeah, me too. Senior year and all. Hey, when do you think we ought to be in the auditorium for the introductory speech by Myrtle?” 

“I dunno. Oh wait, I think I have it in an email somewhere.” The blonde grabbed her phone off of the nightstand between the beds and scrolled for a moment before gasping and standing straight up.

“Five minutes!” She screeched, struggling to get off her dress and find a uniform in her suitcase all at once. 

“Five minutes?” Zoe gasped. “The auditorium is like a half a mile away!” She jumped off her bed; the two girls both scrambling to get dressed. 

 

They entered the hallway together, breathless. 

“Hi, girls.” A voice came from behind them. Misty jumped slightly, spinning around.

“Gosh, Miss Cordelia, ya scared me.” Zoe giggled at her side.

“Sorry, dear. Uh, you might want to button your top.” Misty’s eyes immediately focused downwards and widened when she noticed none of the buttons on her white polo were rightfully secured. An offense which, at Ms. Robichaux’s, was strictly forbidden and punishable by detention. Yes, the dress code was that strict. 

“Shit.” She buttoned her shirt quickly, heart pounding in her chest as she waited to get yelled at. 

“No worries. It’s not even technically the first day yet.” Cordelia said softly, and Misty let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

“Ya really are the best, Miss Cordelia.” The 18 year old beamed, and the 23 year old smiled back. 

“Now, let’s get to the assembly. We all know how Myrtle gets when people are late.” Zoe and Misty both laughed, which ended in a mischievous smirk from the blonde.

“Last one to the auditorium’s a swamp alligator.” And she took off running.

“You bitch!” Zoe breathed, running after her.

“Language!” Cordelia yelled, but with a grin on her face. 

“Sorry, Cordelia!”

 

Zoe and Misty found a seat near the back of the auditorium. They tried to pay attention, they really did, but it was impossible. 

“I think Miss Myrtle’s outfit costs more than all my clothes combined.” Misty whispered. The redhead was wearing an extravagant bright yellow pea coat over red, wide leg pants and a white shirt. All of which looked like it came directly from some fancy brand Misty couldn’t pronounce properly.

“How is she so rich when she’s just a teacher?” Zoe whispered back.

“Headmistress.” Misty corrected. “And yet, I still dunno.” 

“Me neither.” 

Misty fiddled with her rings and smoothed her blue plaid skirt. “When’s this gonna be over?” 

“Ugh. I don’t know.” Zoe sighed, leaning her head against her best friend’s shoulder.

“I want them little pastries they always serve.” Misty muttered, and Zoe smiled. The girl was adorably pure, even when she was angry. It was something about the combination of the accent and the childlike innocence. “Ya know the ones I’m talkin’ about, Zoe, right? With the sugar on top and the strawberry filling?” 

“Yes, Misty.” Zoe answered. “They’re delicious.” The other girl indefinitely had a sweet tooth. 

“Meeting dismissed.” They heard Myrtle call, and Misty jumped up quickly, grabbing Zoe’s hand.

“We gotta find them pastries.” 

“Okay, okay.” Zoe relented as her friend pulled her quickly down the steps towards the floor. The auditorium was structured almost like a stadium- seats all surrounding a square shaped floor with a podium smack in the middle. Everything in the room seemed to be structured of shiny, dark mahogany wood. The seats were benches with intricate carvings on the sides. 

“Look, Zo, there’s an entire three tables of ‘em!” Misty began running then, tugging Zoe behind her. 

“Jeez, Misty.” 

“Don’t forget, girls, you’re all meeting with the teachers assigned to your floors at 9 PM sharp. You’ll be going over rules, among other things. Since it’s the first day back, I will give you permission to wear your nightclothes.” Myrtle’s voice rang out, and cheers filled the auditorium at the allowance to be out of their uniforms at 9 PM. Why Myrtle always had floor meetings held so late, no one knew.

“Who do ya think’s assigned to our floor?” Misty asked, grabbing as many pastries as she could in her two hands.

“I bet it’s Cordelia.” Zoe grabbed a handful of the miniature pastries too. “Why else would she have been outside our room earlier?” 

Misty shoved a pastry into her mouth before speaking. “Oh, I bet you’re right. That’s good then. Way better than Miss Delphine last year.”  
Strawberry filling trailed down the blonde’s face from the corner of her lip. This went unnoticed by Misty herself. She turned, only to see Zoe talking to Madison Montgomery. A total bitch, in Misty’s eyes, but Zoe seemed to like her so she was often stuck in painfully annoying situations. 

“Hey.” Came from right by her ear, and Misty’s heart stopped briefly as she flinched.

“Jeez, Miss Cordelia, you’ve gotta stop sneakin’ up on me like that.” She looked the teacher in her chocolate brown eyes. 

“I’m sorry!” Cordelia said, smiling brightly, then her gaze casting downward to the other girl’s mouth. “You have pastry filling on your face. Looks like you’re a vampire that sucks Barbie’s blood.” 

Misty’s eyebrows furrowed. “Where?” She reached up to rub her cheek. “I think Miss Myrtle filled ‘em up too much this year. She makes ‘em herself, right?”

Cordelia smiled again at Misty’s sheer adorable-ness. “Yes, dear.” She raised a fingertip and brushed the sticky-sweet filling from the younger girl’s chin. Misty’s cheeks warmed.

“Thanks, Miss Cordelia.” She broke the eye contact and tugged up one of her knee high stockings that had slipped down. “So, why’d ya wanna talk to me?” 

“Just wanted to ask how your summer was.” Cordelia answered. 

“Oh, it was the best summer yet. Zoe and I did hundreds a’ fun things.” 

“Is that so?” 

Misty nodded, curls bobbing. 

“Well, that sounds very fun. Any plans for the rest of the day?” Each year, all the girls arrived on a day without classes so they could relax and prepare for actual school work. 

“Not really.” 

“Okay. Better take advantage of your last day of freedom though, huh?” Misty grinned brightly at the slightly older woman. “I’ll see you at 9.” And with that, Cordelia turned on her heels and left the auditorium. Misty watched her cough-syrup colored dress tug at her limbs as she walked away.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like this one! It’s going to be kind of a slow burn, apologies. The plot will pick up soon.

“Zoe, where the hell did ya go? I was lookin’ for ya for like twenty minutes!” Misty exclaimed from her bed as the short brunette entered the room. 

“Madison literally dragged me to the boys school.” Zoe sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed Misty was laying on. Hawthorne School was a school quite similar to theirs, but all boys, slightly less than a mile away. You could get there by running across the lawn and bridge over the creek that separated the two, but no one was allowed to unless they were having school organized activities. 

“What? Why? Y’all ain’t allowed to go over there.” She sat up as she said this.

“I know, I know. She had this boy she wanted me to meet.” Zoe’s cheeks reddened. Misty crept forward.

“Ya like him!” The blonde accused, right in her face.

“Do not.” Zoe insisted.

“Do to.” 

“Do not.” 

“You do. I’ve known ya a while now. I know when you get one of those silly little crushes.” Misty pointed in her face, and Zoe backed away, scared she was going to be poked in the eye.

“This isn’t a ‘silly little crush’, Misty! He’s genuinely a good person.” 

Misty gasped, over dramatic. “Ya admitted ya like him! I knew it!” 

Zoe smacked herself on the head. “Damnit, Misty!” 

“I’m jus’ bein’ a good friend.” The other girl insisted. “Now come sit with me, let’s watch a movie or somethin’. We got like nine hours til the meeting.” 

Zoe relented, and scooted to sit by her best friend. “Alright, what are we watching?” 

Misty moved her laptop (which she'd been on while waiting for the girl) between the two. “I pick the first two, then we get popcorn from the vendin’ machine on the 4th floor and you can pick the second two.” 

“A movie marathon on our first day back? I have a feeling literally everyone else is at the tennis courts or the coffee shop.” Zoe said, but without protest in her voice.

“It’s me n’ you, Zo.” Misty replied. “Would ya really expect anythin’ else?” 

Zoe nodded. “Fair point. Very, very fair point. But if we’re going to be sitting here for the next nine hours, I’m putting my pajamas on.” She then slid from the bed, reaching into her suitcase and pulling out pants with tiny sheep on them and a big gray tee. “We probably should unpack too, Mist.” 

The other girl groaned. “Nooooo, I can do it tomorrow.” 

“No, you can’t.” 

“Fine. One movie first.” Misty grabbed pajamas too- soft black shorts and an oversized Fleetwood Mac tee shirt. 

“Fine.”

 

The Seven Year Itch, unpacking, and Mary Poppins later, the roommates were marching down the hall to get to the stairs. Misty had an odd fondness for old movies- ones with probably nothing past a PG rating- but Zoe didn’t mind. She found her friend’s taste in films rather amusing. 

“There is popcorn in the vendin’ machine, right Zo?” Misty asked, as they took the stairs two at a time until they ended up on the 4th floor.

“As of last year. They better still have it.” The pair stopped in from of the aforementioned vending machine, and Misty’s gaze trailed over it a few times before spotting the popcorn.

“A-ha!” She exclaimed. She grabbed two dollar bills from her black purse and shoved them into the machine. Luckily, they had both changed back into their uniforms for the endeavor, because Marie walked briskly past them as Misty bent forward to grab the popcorn. 

“That was a close one.” Zoe marveled. They began their ascent back up the stairs.

“You can say that again. Thanks for forcin’ me back into my uniform.” 

 

Misty shoved the popcorn into the microwave. “You can pull up the movie ya want.” She gestured towards her laptop on the bed. 

“Thanks. I’m putting my pajamas back on first, though.” Zoe smiled.

“Oh right, I already forgot.” Her best friend knew Misty best for her forgetfulness (besides her love of food and Stevie Nicks), and she constantly had to remind her of literally everything. The brunette grabbed her clothes and stepped into the bathroom. 

 

“You haven't ever seen Titanic, right Mist?” The pair was now lounging in the taller one’s bed, under the covers. 

“Nu-uh.” 

“Well, I think now’s the time. It’s a four hour movie.” Misty just nodded, watching the screen as her friend found the movie on Netflix. 

“This is boring.” 

“We’re two minutes in! Plus, it’ll get better soon. Kate Winslet and Leonardo Dicaprio are possibly the most attractive couple in movie history.” Zoe wiggled her eyebrows, and Misty sighed.

“Alright. Hey, d’you smell that?” The blonde sat up straight, hair brushing her cheeks as she glanced around the room.

Zoe paused the movie. She turned slowly. “Misty. How long did you put the popcorn in the microwave for?” 

Misty shrugged. “Three minutes like the package said.” 

Zoe closed her eyes and let out a breath before looking to the machine in question. “You put it in for thirty minutes!” She jumped up, moving slowly towards the still-running microwave.

“No, no, no. That ain’t right.” Misty didn’t move from the bed.

“Yes, it is.” Zoe muttered. She cautiously opened the microwave. Gray smoke poured into the room, and she coughed and backed away.

“We are so dead.” Misty said with wide eyes. She finally got up and joined the brunette. 

If the word “burnt” was a scent, that was what filled the entire dorm. The smoke made it almost hard to see. Everything was hazy-looking, any harsh lines created by drawers or tables blurred. 

“Fuck.” Zoe breathed. “How do we get rid of it?” 

“I dunno!” Misty exclaimed. “Let’s just hope they can’t smell it outside.” A loud knock on the door responded to that statement, and both girls looked towards it in growing fear.

“If that’s Myrtle,” Zoe began, “I don’t know if we’ll make it out alive.” 

“I’ll get it.” Misty smoothed her crazy hair, and pranced towards the door. Myrtle loved her, and she was decently confident that she could get them out of trouble. Ever since her freshman year, the red haired woman had taken a liking to the adorably feisty blonde. It certainly didn’t do harm that she was one of the only students who hadn’t infringed any rules at the academy. 

Misty faltered only slightly when it wasn’t Myrtle at the door, but Cordelia. Of course she should’ve expected it to be the teacher who resided on her floor, but Zoe had a habit of expecting the worst and it was often projected onto Misty herself. 

“Miss Cordelia.” Misty said, as a form of greeting.

“Misty. Someone just knocked on my door and complained of the smell of something burning?” 

Misty fiddled with the hem of her tee shirt and looked to Zoe. Unfortunately, her best friend looked just as clueless as she regarding what to say.

“Uh… Yes, that’s right, Miss Cordelia. We had, uh, a little incident. Just some burnt popcorn.” Misty fumbled over her words, all big hand gestures and heated cheeks.

Cordelia sighed, pushing the door open further so she could step into the room. She immediately began coughing. “You know what?” She questioned between coughs. “Let’s just open some windows, and get you two out of here.” The teacher walked swiftly to open the windows.

“We don’t really got anythin’ to do.” Misty interrupted. “Just watchin’ a movie.” 

“You can watch it in my room, how’s that?” The curly-haired blonde nodded eagerly in response. She grabbed her laptop. 

Zoe couldn’t comprehend how Cordelia wasn’t mad or yelling or calling for Myrtle, but she simply shrugged it off and followed everyone out the door.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... This entire chapter is pretty much Cordelia, Misty and Zoe watching Titanic. I’m not sorry.

“What were you watching?” Cordelia asked as they stepped into her room. Said room was much bigger than the student dorms- with a huge bed and flat screen TV. It looked like a luxury hotel.

“Titanic.” Misty almost-whispered. She was distracted by all the minutiaes of the room. It wasn’t fully unpacked, but there were a few framed photos sitting on the kitchen island. Misty gazed at them for probably longer than normal. One was a photo of Cordelia at her graduation, presumably college. Another was with a glamorous woman who looked like her mother. They were sitting together at a bar and laughing, drinks in hand. “I like your photographs, Miss Cordelia.” Misty looked up as she heard the other woman laugh. 

“Thank you. I’ve got Netflix on my TV, why don’t we all watch Titanic together?” She seemed almost embarrassed; afraid the two students would cringe at the idea of hanging out with their teacher. But Misty and Zoe wore matching, heaven-sent smiles, and Cordelia put popcorn in the microwave for 3 minutes. 

 

Everything was going nicely. Until, that is, the sex scene. Normally, a sex scene so mild wouldn’t make a person of 18 years flinch. However, two things made this a particularly awkward event for Misty Day. One: the fact that she was watching it with her teacher. Two: she was raised to never talk about anything related to sex. It was taboo in her family- the only way she’d even learned about it was through a book haphazardly thrown at her by her father when she was thirteen. Because of this, she always blushed at Madison’s vulgar humor and shied away from romance.

Romance was something that Misty had trouble understanding. She never felt anything for the boys at Hawthorne. She’d danced with a few at organized school dances, just for the hell of it, but it wasn’t ever a particularly wowing experience.

At the “To the stars” line, Zoe moved her gaze to Misty’s face so she could see her reaction to the scene. The three were piled on Cordelia’s couch, sitting awfully close, with a white knit blanket sprawled over them. Misty was between the others, blanket tugged up over her shoulders.

Jack tugged Rose into the backseat of the vehicle and Zoe watched as Misty’s eyes grew. 

“Zoe-” The blonde began.

The brunette shushed her. “Don’t talk during the movie, Mist.” She reached into the bowl in Misty’s lap and grabbed a handful of popcorn, smile peeking through as she chewed. 

Rose was kissing Jack’s fingertips now, and Misty’s gaze was flickering rapidly from Cordelia to Zoe. The latter had to cover her mouth in an attempt not to laugh. 

When “Put your hands on me, Jack,” was spoken, Misty’s hands flew to her cheeks. She looked positively mortified, and Zoe actually laughed out loud this time. Hearing the sound, Cordelia turned and raised an eyebrow with a grin on her face.

“What’s the matter, Misty?” The teacher questioned, amused.

“Are they gonna…” Misty trailed off, unwilling to say the words to finish the sentence.

“Just watch the movie.” Zoe said softly. She was entertained immensely, and wasn’t about to let the scene get skipped. Misty just sunk lower into the couch.

Now Cordelia and Zoe both were watching the blonde for a reaction. 

“Zoe, why didn’t ya tell me there was…” She trailed off again, yanking the blanket over her face when a hand hit the window of the car. 

Cordelia giggled, and pulled the blanket back down. “It isn’t bad, Misty.” 

“I don’t like to watch… that.” She gestured towards the television. 

“Why not?” Zoe piped in. And boy, she was having fun.

“It’s embarrassing!” Misty cried. She covered her reddening cheeks with her hands again. 

“It’s just sex.” Zoe said.

“Totally normal.” Cordelia.

Misty huffed and looked away from them both. “You’re gangin’ up on me. To make me all flustered. That ain’t nice, ya know.”

Cordelia and Zoe just dissolved into fits of laughter. 

 

Misty was silent again until Rose and Jack were in the water after the boat had began sinking. She’d grimaced at the “draw me like one of your French girls” scene, but she didn’t want to give Zoe and Cordelia the satisfaction of her embarrassment again.

“They’re not gonna die, are they?” Misty looked to Zoe.

“I’m not spoiling it.” The brunette sing-songed. 

Misty sighed. They were definitely going to die. 

She had a thing about death. While other people would see it as simply a process of life, Misty’s entire soul was crushed whenever she heard about shootings and massacres. Even in movies, she couldn’t keep her composure when someone beloved passed away. She just never thought it fair that she got to continue to walk the Earth while other people didn’t, even if they were the same age.

Jack slipped down into the water. Tears welled up in Misty’s eyes. “He doesn’t deserve to die,” she whispered.

Cordelia looked briefly at the younger girl and then stood, pacing her home until she found a box of tissues. She placed it onto the coffee table. “We’re probably all going to need these.” 

Misty immediately reached forward and grabbed way more tissues than anyone would deem necessary. 

The “dream” scene began. Tears were steadily pouring down Misty’s cheeks. Cordelia cautiously wrapped an arm around her shoulders. 

“All the dead people are clapping for them!” Misty whimpered.

“I never noticed that.” Even Zoe’s voice was tear soaked.

Rose was off the ship, and Misty inhaled sharply, trying to collect herself. She leaned further into Cordelia’s embrace.

“Why would anyone subject themselves to this movie?” Misty muttered, mostly to Cordelia.

“People find joy in being sad, sometimes.” The teacher replied. “Just like they find joy in being scared. Do you like horror movies?”

Misty just shook her head. 

They continued to watch the film until the credits, Misty occasionally grabbing another tissue or sniffling audibly. 

“Are you two hungry?” Cordelia asked, slipping away from Misty gently and turning to face them both. “We’ve still got an hour before the meeting.” 

“She’s always hungry.” Zoe said with a smirk, nudging her friend with her shoulder.

Misty hesitated before responding. “Yeah, you’re kinda right.” 

“I can cook something. I went grocery shopping earlier.” The woman got up and began opening different cabinets in her kitchen. “Spaghetti, maybe?” 

“I love pasta.” Came an accent-laced response, and Cordelia smiled to herself. She pulled out a box of angel hair pasta, and set a pot of water on the stove. She grabbed her phone and connected it to a speaker as she listened to the pair of best friends talk.

Misty sat up straighter as she heard the intro to “Sara”, and couldn’t help drifting into the kitchen to follow the sound. She also, pretty much unconsciously, sang the “Wait a minute, baby. Stay with me awhile…” as she ran her fingers over Cordelia’s countertop. The teacher found herself staring at her blonde curls. 

“Ya like Fleetwood Mac too?” Misty spoke, suddenly all in Cordelia’s face, breaking her from her reverie.

“Yeah. And I noticed your shirt.” Misty’s eyes dropped to said shirt, as if she’d forgotten she was wearing it.

“I’m… kind of obsessed with Stevie.” Misty admitted, laughing awkwardly. She’d been called weird a lot in her younger years for being obsessed with a 70s band while everyone else was listening to bubblegum pop stars. 

Cordelia opened her mouth to reply when her phone rang, disrupting the music. “Sorry.” She muttered. She picked up the device, pressing it to her ear. “Hello?”

Misty just watched her intently as she talked.

“I’m good, how are you? Oh yes, believe me I didn’t forget. I know, I miss you too. Yeah. I’ll find someone. Okay. Yep. Don’t worry about me! I have to go. Love you too. Bye.” Cordelia placed the phone back down and the music resumed. Misty’s entire being itched to ask her who it was she was on the phone with, but she forced herself not to. ‘You can’t just pry into people’s personal lives, Mist.’ Zoe had once said. It was undoubtedly hard for her to resist asking people whatever she pleased. But she knew now that it was rude. 

“D’ya need help with the cooking?” Misty settled on. ‘Be a good guest.’ Her mother had enforced when she was little, on the way to her first slumber party. 

Misty remembered nearly everything everyone had ever said to her. She was affected deeply by those around her, and would go to great lengths to make everybody like her. It almost always worked. 

“It’s okay.” Cordelia said. “But that’s very sweet, Misty.” She smiled warmly and Misty smiled back.

“If you’re sure…” 

“I am. Why don’t you sit down and relax?” Cordelia gestured to the chairs at the island.

“Zoe!” Misty called, and Cordelia smiled again before turning back to her cooking.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be better and longer!! Get ready for some dRaMa then ;))) (But not between Cordelia and Misty because they deserve ALL THE HAPPINESS together)

The brunette came to sit next to Misty. 

“Ya gotta tell me more about that boy. Which one is it?” The blonde softened her tone but kept it slightly sarcastic. “Better not be one a’ those jocks. That one asshole had me comfortin’ ya for forever.” 

Zoe glared sharply at her friend. Her eyes screamed ‘shut up’, but Misty was often one to miss signals.

“Are ya gonna date him?” Sometimes her bluntness was scary.

“I don’t know.” Zoe hissed. Misty instantly looked hurt, and Zoe sighed. “I don’t know how to talk to him. He’s so much different than me.” 

“Nobody’s that different. Hey, I bet Miss Cordelia has some advice. Bein’ older and all that.” Misty innocently looked over at the teacher, who was stirring the pasta with a wooden spoon. She turned at the mention of her name.

“Let’s talk over dinner.” Cordelia decided, after a momentary internal debate. “Are you sure you want me knowing all the details of your personal life?” 

Zoe twirled the idea around in her head. Sure, Cordelia was her teacher, but she was also in her early twenties and probably more experienced than she herself. “Yeah. No harm in it, right?” Cordelia grinned warmly at the girl, and then at Misty. She couldn’t easily comprehend how someone her age was so sweet; pure intent with everything she did. 

Cordelia plated their food, and took a seat across from her guests at the island. 

“His name is Kyle,” Zoe began, without prompt. 

“Oh! Kyle’s nice.” Misty interrupted. “I helped him with math homework once.” 

Zoe nodded. “Yeah, he’s really cool. All his friends are total jerks but not him.” She paused a moment before talking again. “I just don’t know what to do because I’ve never really liked anyone this way before.” 

“I don’t, uh, swing that way,” Cordelia said. Misty’s eyebrows furrowed and she looked to Zoe for explanation. 

“She likes girls.” Zoe whispered. Misty’s cheeks reddened and she focused her gaze on her food. Cordelia was seemingly oblivious.

“But I know that people in general don’t like those tactics where you try to make them jealous, or play hard to get. Just tell him how you feel, flat out. He’ll appreciate it.” 

Misty twirled pasta around her fork and shoved it into her mouth. She still wouldn’t look anywhere besides down.

She’d never really considered other sexualitites, mostly just deciding she didn’t want to be tied down by anyone. Plus, not many 18 year olds found her obsession with Stevie Nicks and animals attractive. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t notice Cordelia saying her name until Zoe kicked her leg sharply. “Ow!” She yelled. “What the hell was that for?”

“Cordelia was trying to get your attention.” Zoe said with a shrug.

Misty laced and unlaced her fingers. She met the teacher’s eyes. “Yeah?”

“We should leave for the meeting soon.” Cordelia elaborated. Misty pressed her lips together, nodding.

“Right.” She took this opportunity to finish her spaghetti as quickly as possible. Cordelia’s eyes widened. 

“She’s…” Zoe tried to think of a way to explain that the blonde’s eating habits were akin to that of men who did those challenges to see who could eat the most hotdogs in one minute, without sounding rude. “Weird.” She finished, for lack of a better word.

Cordelia didn’t respond, but stood to leave the room. 

“Where are ya goin’?” She heard an accent-laced voice ask. She turned.

“If you get to wear your pajamas, so do I.” This seemed to brighten Misty’s entire world, and she looked as if she was going to jump up on the table and clap her hands.

 

Cordelia entered the room a few minutes later, donning blue plaid pants and an oversized black tee shirt. Misty was stood at the sink, rinsing her plate, but she looked up at the sound of footsteps. “Aw, you look cute, Miss Cordelia,” she said. 

Cordelia struggled to find her words. Logically, Misty was just being friendly. And after seeing her every other day for an entire year, Cordelia could deduce that the younger girl was extremely affectionate. With her words and her actions. She called all the teachers pretty, and would hug anyone who complimented her. Even if it was just a “Thanks,” after letting someone borrow a pencil. 

“Thank you.” Cordelia finally said. It came out hoarse and she cleared her throat. “So, to the meeting, then?” 

“Alright.” Misty set her plate down and grabbed both Cordelia and Zoe’s hands, leading them out the door. 

 

Cordelia sat down on the floor. Misty sat next to her, close enough they could hear each other’s breathing. Other students gradually entered the hallway, chatting and texting. But all the teacher could focus on was her and the younger girl’s proximity. 

The air was filled with everything Misty. She smelled like earth and fresh linens; Cordelia felt as if she was choking on it. When she inhaled deeply she caught a faint trace of artificial flowers. Perfume or shampoo, probably. 

Misty pulled her phone from her shorts pocket, and opened Candy Crush. She leaned back on one hand and her curls brushed Cordelia’s arm. However unaware Misty was, Cordelia was sweating and trying to contain the urge to run her fingers over the golden tresses. She watched the blonde swipe cartoon candies around the screen of her phone for at least three minutes, when all of a sudden crystal blue eyes were looking intently into hers.

“Are ya gonna start the meeting?” Misty almost whispered. Their faces were mere inches apart. Cordelia swallowed thickly. 

“I- I should. Yeah.” Cordelia forced herself to break the eye contact. Misty didn’t back away, rather opting for resting her head gently on the teacher’s shoulder. She stretched her legs out in front of her and settled almost into Cordelia’s side. 

“Okay. Listen up, everyone!” Cordelia raised her voice and everyone quieted. “Welcome back to school. I’m going to make this quick so you all can get a good night’s sleep for tomorrow. This floor only has a few rules: Don’t be loud past 10 PM, don’t sneak boys in, and don’t put popcorn in the microwave for longer than three minutes.” She smirked as she said the last sentence, and heard Misty struggle to contain a laugh. “Are we clear?” 

She waited for everyone to respond with different variants of “yes”, and then pushed Misty softly so she could stand. “Great. Meeting dismissed. Don’t stay up too late!” 

Students began trailing back into their rooms. Cordelia felt a finger tap the back of her neck. 

“Goodnight, Miss Cordelia.” Misty said, nearly shy. Zoe was standing next to her. 

Cordelia couldn’t resist. She stuck out a hand and tugged on a blonde ringlet, watching as it straightened then curled again as she let go. 

“Goodnight, dear.”


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Misty being absolutely clueless when it comes to romance is one of my most favorite things. Also! Something pretty insane (for lack of a better word) is happening next chapter...

It was the first day of school, and Misty and Zoe were collectively panicked. 

“Have you seen my shoes?” Misty asked, almost falling on her face as she bent to look under her bed.

“Which ones?” Zoe replied. She was scouring her drawers, throwing various items of clothing behind her.

“The navy ones.” The blonde said, like it was obvious.

“No, but your black ones are in the bathroom.” 

“In the bathroom? Why?” 

Zoe sighed. “I don’t know! And where the hell is my straightener?” 

Misty looked over at her best friend, black mary jane heels now in hand. “Why d’ya need your straightener? Your hair looks fine to me” 

“I love you, Mist, but you can’t exactly talk about hair styling. You don’t even brush yours.”

“You’ve seen how my hair is when it’s brushed out.” Misty said. She appeared almost horrified. 

“Yes. I have. But where’s my straightener?” 

“Bottom drawer.” Misty responded. She sat heavily on her bed and put her shoes on. Something in her wanted to try and look pretty today, so she’d put on her shortest blue pleated skirt and sheer white thigh-highs. Madison once said that her legs were ‘to die for’. She never understood the appeal of long legs, but she’d also seen how the boys stared at her in her little red dress at last year’s end of year dance. 

“What’s your first class?” Zoe asked. She plugged in her straightening iron in the bathroom and looked over at Misty.

“I have English, then botany, then lunch, then math.” Misty replied. Because of the rigorous coursework in previous years, the seniors only had three or four classes per day that each lasted an hour and a half. The rest of the day was essentially one big free period. 

“We have English and math together.” Zoe said absentmindedly. “Hey, what time is it?” 

Misty glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “8:32.” 

“Wanna grab a coffee before class?” 

“Only if I can get lots of cream and sugar.” The blonde had tried coffee for the first time last year, and quickly discovered she could only tolerate it when it was sweet. 

“Of course. Tastes disgusting though.” Zoe remarked. Misty just rolled her eyes.

 

Misty sipped from her paper cup. “No, no, no. More cream.”

Zoe sighed, and handed her friend another tiny plastic container of vanilla creamer. 

“Thanks.” Misty smiled widely. She poured it into the cup. “I like sweet stuff.” 

“I know.” 

“Boo.” Misty spun around, barely keeping her coffee in her grip. 

“Miss Cordelia. What did I tell you about sneakin’ up on me?” 

The older woman giggled. “I’m sorry! It’s a habit, I guess.” 

Misty couldn’t contain her grin. “It’s alright. I like talkin’ with ya, anyways.” 

“Me too.” Cordelia agreed. “Do you have my class today?” 

Misty nodded. “Yeah. I’m real excited.” 

“I’ll see you then, then.” Cordelia rested a warm hand on Misty’s upper arm, and let it trail down her smooth skin as she let go. The other girl looked away, blushing. 

“She really likes you.” Zoe said softly, as they both watched Cordelia walk away.

“I’m a good student.” Misty responded with a shrug.

“I think it’s more than that.” 

“What do you mean?” Misty sipped at her drink again, this time seemingly satisfied with the taste.

“She talks to you every chance she gets, Mist. You know she knows everyone at this school, right? But she only goes out of her way to speak to you.” 

“So? We’re friends. She’s my favorite teacher. And we’ve got a lot in common.” The blonde made her way to the exit of the small coffee shop they had on campus, and Zoe followed. 

“I think, she has a crush on you.” 

Misty nearly choked on her coffee. “You don’t mean that.” 

“Yeah. If you wanna find out, just flirt with her. I’m sure she’ll go weak at the knees.” Zoe enjoyed watching Misty embarrassed, for the second time in 24 hours. 

“You know I’m not so good at the whole flirtin’ thing, Zo.” 

“Come on. You can do it.” 

Misty chewed on her bottom lip, pondering. There was no way Cordelia actually thought she was attractive, right? Sure, Misty was fairly confident, but she didn’t see anything particularly special about herself. 

 

English went by slowly. Misty kept looking at the clock, unconsciously drowning out everything Marie was saying. 

Zoe whacked her on the elbow with her pen. “Focus,” she whispered harshly. 

Misty looked at the clock again. Fifteen minutes til botany. She could survive. 

Maybe.

“The paper is due in exactly one week. Don’t stress too much about it, it’s just to gauge how much you all forgot over the summer.” Marie said. Some students laughed.

Misty tapped her pencil on the desk nervously. “What’s the paper about?” She whispered, leaning in to Zoe at the desk next to her.

“A research paper. Pick an article in the news and analyze the writing, looking for bias and stuff.” Zoe whispered back. “Someone’s distracted.” 

“I have class with Miss Cordelia next.” Misty said.

Zoe raised her eyebrows in realization. “Oh.”

“I’ll dismiss you early. Happy first day.” Misty bolted up at Marie’s words, almost knocking her chair over. “Whoa there, Misty, there’s no rush.”

Misty looked at Marie, shameful. She didn’t take well to criticism. Even words that other people wouldn’t consider rude, she took to heart. “I’m sorry Miss Marie.” 

“Nothing to apologize for.” Marie brushed her off with a wave of her hand.

Misty fumbled with her books, shoving them ungracefully into her black backpack. Zoe nudged her. “Good luck.” 

The blonde looked forlorn. “Thank ya.” 

 

Misty stepped into the classroom before everyone else. Less than 10 people took the botany class, but none had Marie’s English course right before. Thus, she was alone with Cordelia, who was shuffling through papers on her desk.

“Hey.” Misty forced herself to say. She’d been anxious since this morning, thanks to Zoe. 

Cordelia put down the papers. “You’re early.” Her voice took on a tone that could only be described as seductive as she looked up at Misty through her long eyelashes. 

Misty’s heart quickened, and she considered not responding. But she remembered what her best friend had said, and smirked. “Yeah, Miss Cordelia. Aren’t ya happy to see me?” 

“Well, of course.” Her words remained teasing, jumping off her tongue like it was completely natural.

Misty struggled with a response. She could feel her entire face heating up. Racking her brain, she tried to remember things Madison had taught her. She plopped her backpack down on the floor, against the desk right in front of Cordelia’s. “Do we need our books out today?” She asked, endearing as ever. 

“I’m just going to introduce the class. I’ll be handing out a syllabus, so you’ll probably need a folder.” 

“You should see the folders I got, Miss Cordelia. They’re real cute.” Misty bent forward to unzip her bag. She was hyper-aware of how her skirt danced up her thighs, stopping just short of her underwear. A trick she had learned from Madison, of course, and she felt decently uncomfortable doing it. 

Cordelia swallowed thickly. She wasn’t sure if Misty knew what she was doing, but she needed it to stop immediately if she was to get any work done this class. 

As if in tune with her thoughts, the blonde jumped back up, holding a folder. “Look,” she said, prancing forward the few steps to Cordelia’s desk. She extended said folder. It was pale blue and included a photo of a baby duck. “Ain’t it precious?”

Cordelia had to refrain from literally shaking her head to clear her thoughts. “Adorable.” She agreed. Misty turned the item back towards herself, giggling at the photo. 

Nan walked in, followed by Queenie. Misty bounced over to them, eager for their response to her folder, and Cordelia slumped back into her seat. All she could think was: ‘This is going to be a tough year’.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it seems like there’s more Zoe and Misty friendship than there is Cordelia and Misty fluff. I’m sorry. They will prevail. I just thought it was important to this chapter to have Zoe there (as a friend) and supportive. You’ll see.

The rest of Cordelia’s class passed without event, and the rest of the day too. Soon enough, Misty and Zoe were sat in their dorm, debating what to do. 

“How did botany go?” Zoe asked, mischief in her voice. 

Misty sighed. “I tried, Zoe. I promise ya, I did. But I’m no good at flirting.” 

“What did she do, though?” 

“Well, the way she talked was…” She trailed off, trying to think of a good word. “Interestin’.” 

“Interesting? What’s that supposed to mean?” Zoe peered into her friend’s eyes, as if they held all the details she wanted. 

“Maybe it’s just her natural voice, but she sounded like she wanted to eat me alive.” 

“I knew it!” Zoe lept up as she said this, jumping on the bed they were sitting on. “She likes you.”

Misty rolled her eyes, but her thoughts were squirming against her skull. ‘She can’t like me… She can’t. And even if she did-’

“What are you gonna do?” Zoe asked, breaking the blonde from her reverie. 

“Do I have to do somethin’?” Misty questioned back, nervous. Zoe sat back down.

“Well, yeah.” Misty’s face must have been full of alarm, because Zoe rested her hand on the other girl’s forearm. “Okay, no. You don’t have to worry about it. I just think-” She was interrupted by a sharp rap at the door. 

Misty slid off the bed, looking to her friend for any explanation. “Probably Madison or something.” Zoe said with a shrug. Misty walked to the door, opening it to reveal none other than Myrtle. 

“What’s goin’ on, Miss Myrtle?” The blonde asked. It wasn’t everyday that the principal showed up at your dorm.

“The police are here to speak with you, dearest Misty. Something simply awful has happened.” Myrtle dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. 

Zoe was stood behind her now, and she spoke up. “What? The police? Can I come?” 

Myrtle paused a moment, as if she was debating, then looked to Misty’s worried eyes. “Of course. Come along, then.” 

The two trailed into the hallway, uniforms still on. Misty’s shirt was untucked and neither were wearing shoes. They followed the principal to a room neither had ever been in. It was fairly large, with a table that all the staff was sitting around. Two policemen were hovering in the corner. Misty’s gaze trailed over the faces, hovering a moment on Cordelia, and then she allowed herself to be guided to a chair opposite everyone else. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked. “What’s happening?” But everyone just looked at her with matching expressions of sympathy. Misty’s eyes were already filling with tears. She knew something was wrong. 

One of the cops, with a name tag that read ‘Jake’, stepped forward. “This is hard for me to say, but your parents were both found dead in their home.” 

Misty’s vision blurred. She couldn’t hear anything anyone was saying to her; just buried her head into her hands. Her brain caught several snippets of conversation, but most of it was hazy. Tears ran down her cheeks. And yet, she knew she wasn’t comprehending it fully yet. Her parents? Dead? No, it couldn’t be. That wouldn’t happen to her, surely? Surely? 

Someone was saying her name, shaking her by the shoulders. She forced herself upwards. Zoe was sat on the arm of the chair, and her hands stayed where they were as she tried to wrangle a response out of the other girl. 

Misty blinked once, twice, and everything came back clear. She felt a hand in her hair, and leaned into it. It was comforting. 

But then Jake was talking again, this time to Myrtle. “I’d definitely suspect foul play. However, since she’s 18, we aren’t going to get her a foster family. Plus, not many would be willing to take in someone who might be the target of violence. We’re going to have police stationed outside the Academy at all times. SWAT teams on standby. No one’s allowed in besides students and faculty. Miss Day is not to leave the premises unless she is with another adult- someone older than her, preferably. Until we catch this guy.” 

Misty just stayed still, barely understanding. She looked to Zoe, noticing her eyes were red-rimmed too. She took one of the hands off her shoulder, and laced it with her own. “It’s okay, Mist. It’s gonna be fine.” Misty nodded, taking a deep breath that ended in a sob. She slumped forward, head falling to Zoe’s lap. 

“She’s going to need someone to be with on weekends, holidays, et cetera. Unfortunately we cannot find any family members of her parents-”

“I’ll take her.” A voice sounded from behind her. A hand fell to her back, rubbing soft, slow circles. It took Misty a second to figure out who it belonged to. But, Cordelia. She exhaled roughly into Zoe’s skirt. 

“Are you sure? This-” 

“Yes. I’m positive.” 

“Alright, Miss, if you could step into the hallway with me there’s some paperwork you need to fill out.” 

Footsteps, and the hand was gone. Misty thought of her parents. She thought of everything they’d done for her. Her normally bursting heart felt like it was caving in on itself. 

“Misty. Can you look at me?” Zoe said. Misty did. “You’re going to be okay.” 

“What if I’m not?” The other girl whispered, voice breaking a little at the last word. 

“You are. I know you.” The brunette forced her face into a smile, in hopes of getting Misty to mirror her expression. It didn’t work. 

“Th- they didn’t deserve this. They were always so nice to me.” Misty collapsed back into Zoe’s lap. “Are they really gone?” It was muffled, but it tugged painfully at Zoe’s heartstrings. 

“They’re not gone, Misty. They’re watching over you, remember?” Truth be told, Zoe didn’t know much about religion, but she knew Misty went to church with her parents when she was younger and thought it might be of some comfort. 

“They’re probably laughin’ at me.” Misty whimpered. “They never believed in crying.” 

“It’s okay to cry, my dear.” Misty picked her head up and watched as Myrtle came towards her. “You should go back to your room. I’ll send Cordelia over this evening. So nice of her to volunteer to look after you.” She muttered the last sentence to herself, and Misty stood on shaky legs. 

Zoe took her friend’s arm in her own. They trudged out of the room. A chorus of ‘I’m sorry’s followed them, as hugging Misty but not with warmth.

“Why’d Miss Myrtle say she was gonna send Miss Cordelia?” Misty muttered, half leaning on Zoe.

“It’s Friday, Mist. We always start classes on Friday’s, remember?” 

Misty nodded weakly. She stared at the ground, even as Zoe pushed the door to their room open. 

‘It’s too quiet’, the blonde thought. She breathed in the silence; it crushed her lungs.

Zoe nudged her to get her to sit on her bed, and sat right next to her. “How are you feeling?” Misty knew the words came with good intent, but they felt almost too formal. She could picture all the staff asking her the same question, looks of concern clouding their eyes. 

“It should’ve been me.” Misty said. 

Zoe’s face creased in worry. “Misty, no-”

“It should’ve. They were such wonderful people. What have I ever done that’s so good?” Misty suddenly eyed Zoe with confusion. “And why are ya even here if it’s Friday?” 

“It’s only four.” Zoe responded. She pointed limply at the digital clock on the nightstand.

“Oh.” 

“Do you want to watch a movie?” 

Tears still dripped down her face, but she managed a smile at her best friend. “Okay. But nothin’ with all that intimate stuff.” 

Zoe laughed. “Of course not. What about Cinderella, huh?”

“Yeah.” Misty said. She repressed all of her thoughts to the back of her mind. She knew her soul would be crushed later. That’s how grief worked for Misty Day. When her pet hamster had died a la second grade, she buried it in the ground dutifully and smiled at the little gravestone she’d made all by herself. Three days later, she was inconsolable. 

 

After the movie, Zoe offered to go fetch dinner from the dining hall and bring it back to their dorm, and Misty let her. Normally, she didn’t like having people fuss over her, but something inside her stomach and chest felt empty. She picked up her phone. She wanted to text her mom about the crazy thing that had just happened- death- and ask if she could make mac and cheese on Saturday night because she was sad. 

‘But corpses won’t reply to your messages’, spoke Misty’s mind, and she threw her phone back on the bed bitterly. 

 

Zoe returned to her friend tugging two ponytails into her hair. She looked childish, especially with the way she sat criss-cross, but didn’t seem to notice. “Mac and cheese.” Zoe said, placing a foam carry-out food box in front of her to punctuate the sentence. “Your favorite.” The brunette returned to her place sitting next to the blonde.

The gesture made Misty feel a little better, and she dug in almost immediately. (She was terribly hungry). And although the taste was good, it would never replace her mother’s. She could hear the warm Cajun accent in her head- praising her for being such a good daughter. 

‘Not a good daughter’, flashed into her brain, and Misty stifled the thought; but she knew it was true. ‘A good daughter doesn’t let her parents die’.

“I always liked the food here.” Zoe muttered absentmindedly. Misty looked at her with a weak smile. “Do you want to watch another movie? I’m not leaving til nine. I texted my parents.” 

‘My parents’- the words made Misty want to vomit. She didn’t have anyone to ask permission from now. She remembered all the times she begged her father to let Zoe stay the night when they were younger, and how he always relented with a grin on his face. Again, she forced the thoughts away.

“That’s kind of ya, Zoe. You didn’t have to do that.” 

“You’re my best friend.” She offered up no other explanation. 

“Could we watch another princess movie, maybe? They make me feel happy.” Misty shoved a bite of macaroni into her mouth. It was good, really. 

“Sure. Which one?” 

 

A knock at the door interrupted Zoe and Misty’s conversation (about Belle’s yellow dress) for the second time that day. Zoe got up without comment.

“Hey.” Cordelia said, from the doorway. She was twisting her fingers together anxiously. “Um.” 

“You’re here for Misty.” Zoe said, shoving the words into her mouth. “Mist, do you have your weekend bag ready?” 

The blonde nodded, creeping towards her teacher. She was clutching a dark purple duffle bag. Cordelia held out a hand. Nothing felt as sweet as it had yesterday, almost snuggling on the couch, or earlier, teasing glances and flushed cheeks. It felt like they were meeting again for the first time. 

Misty could tell Cordelia was nervous. She took the hand. 

“I’m not complaining, but I was going to hold your bag for you.” The older girl said. Misty jerked her hand away, replacing it with her bag. She wanted to cry again- her face felt all heavy and her throat was sore. 

Cordelia took Misty’s hand with her free one. “Ready to go?” 

“Yeah. Thank you, Miss Cordelia.” 

The teacher’s heart soared. ‘Not about you.’ She chastised herself. She tugged the girl from the room, gentle. Zoe uttered a goodbye and shut the door.

The two walked down the hall, hands linked, silent. Misty shuddered when they left the building. The cold enveloped her, and the darkness left her shuffling closer to the other girl. 

“It’s okay.” Cordelia said. She swept her thumb over Misty’s hand that was laced with her own. “I know it’s chilly. But my car’s nice and warm, okay?” 

Misty could only nod. 

The sound of a car unlocking briefly filled the quiet of the parking lot. Cordelia didn’t release Misty’s hand even to shove her bag into the trunk. She only let go so they could both be seated on their respective sides of the vehicle. 

Cordelia fumbled for the right words. She got an idea, suddenly, and connected her phone to the bluetooth. She pulled up Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rumors’, and hit shuffle. ‘Gold Dust Woman’ played through the speakers.

Misty’s face lit up, and her posture straightened. “I love this song.” 

“So do I.” Cordelia whispered. Gears turned in her mind. ‘Not now… Wait, yes. She’s hurting. This will make her smile.’ 

“Hey.” The teacher began again. Even with her eyes on the road, she could feel Misty’s gaze. “I’m looking after you for awhile. And, uh, I have two tickets to see Fleetwood Mac next month? Do you wanna-” Before she could even finish her sentence, a pair of lips were pressing to her cheek, and nails were digging into her thigh. She couldn’t help the giggle that spilled from her mouth. “Stop it, I’m driving!” 

“You’re serious? About the concert, I mean.” A sickly-sweet voice asked. 

“Of course. You’re the only one I know who loves Stevie as much as me, probably even more.” Cordelia bit her lip. Her palms were sweating. She could still feel the soft kiss on her skin; it lingered like a ghost. 

“You're the best person I ever met, Miss Cordelia!” Misty exclaimed. She’d retreated back to her seat, but everything about her still radiated. 

‘What about your parents?’ Cordelia wanted to ask. Not to be mean. She just didn’t want reality to come crashing down too hard on the girl. Instead, she settled for grabbing Misty’s hand again. 

“I’m glad I have ya.”


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s almost 1 AM you guys, idk. But I hope you like this! I only skimmed over it after writing because my sleep schedule is a wreck and I can barely keep my eyes open ;,)

Misty followed Cordelia into her house. It was huge, and for the first time the younger girl wondered if Cordelia lived by herself.

“It’s just me, here.” The teacher said, as if answering her unspoken question. She lead Misty up the stairs. “There’s lots of guest bedrooms. You can choose, if you want.” 

Misty caught her lip between her teeth. The thought of being plunged into darkness, by herself, made her feel anxious and sweaty. As much as she didn’t want to sound whiny, or annoying, she knew she would be miserable if she didn’t voice her fears. “I- I don’t wanna be all alone,” she said, quiet. She wouldn’t meet Cordelia’s eyes. 

“Okay. There’s enough space for both of us in my room.” Inside, Cordelia was burning at the idea of sharing a bed with the other girl, but she mentally slapped herself. ‘Again, not about me,’ she thought. It was nothing, anyways. Misty’s parents had just died, for god’s sake, and she was worried about her own anxiety. She lead Misty to her bedroom. “This was-” She hesitated. ‘This was my mother’s room,’ she’d almost said. Stupid. “This is my room.” She set Misty’s bag at the foot of her bed. 

“It’s nice.” Misty responded. Her voice sounded so very tiny; Cordelia rested a hand on her upper arm.

“Do you want to take a shower?” Cordelia asked. “Once you get out, we can make brownies and watch a movie.” Misty’s face brightened at this. She liked movies with Cordelia; remembered the arm around her shoulders and the tissue box. She nodded. 

Cordelia seemed to brighten, too. Her face lit up in a way Misty thought was beautiful- the glow in her eyes and the visible smoothness of her skin. The teacher slid her hand down Misty’s arm and tangled their fingers together, gently dragging her to the bathroom. It was funny, Cordelia thought, how many times she’d touched Misty in the past day. She couldn’t seem to help herself, especially now that she knew the younger girl was in pain. She knew the ache of losing a parent, though she wasn’t sure she’d felt it as normal people did with her mother. Her mother tried, Cordelia had decided when she was all dressed in black at the funeral, but she didn’t try hard enough. 

“Miss Cordelia.” The words started Cordelia, and she met Misty’s glossy eyes. “Could you stay in here? That monster- whatever it was- that killed my mom and dad. What if it comes?” Cordelia noticed the way she referred to the killer as ‘it’, as if it wasn’t human. As if they were simply characters in a fantasy novel, and some alien creature killed her parents. ‘Maybe it would be simpler that way.’ Cordelia mused. ‘Because there would be a happy ending.’ Not that she didn’t believe everything would work out well when she offered to take Misty, because she did. But she also didn’t fail to see the slight tremor in the younger girl’s shoulders and the blank expression adorning her face. ‘You helped her. Fleetwood Mac was a good idea.’ 

She realized abruptly she hadn’t replied yet, and her face flushed. “Sorry, got a little lost in my thoughts. Of course I’ll stay with you. Do you want me to-” Misty promptly sat flat on the white tile floor, and began undoing her shoes. Cordelia shrugged to herself and moved to turn the shower on. She dipped her hand in the streams of water, testing the temperature. Too hot. She tilted the knob to make it colder. 

When she was satisfied, she turned back around to address Misty, only to see her tugging her shirt over her head. She felt like she was invading, but Misty had been the one to ask her to stay. Her gaze, out of her control, wandered over Misty’s figure. Her gaze, of its own accord, followed Misty’s movements. She was gorgeous, that was for sure.

The shirt was tossed to the floor. “Oh. Sorry.” Misty said, finally noticing Cordelia’s eyes on her. The younger girl’s blush ran adorably over her cheeks. 

“No worries.” Cordelia’s stare lingered for a moment, then she turned away. She stayed like that, eyes on the wall, until she heard the shower curtain move. Then she moved to sit atop a stool in the corner. “Let me know if you need anything.” She said, loud enough so Misty could hear over the running water.

“Miss Cordelia?” Misty questioned from the shower, roughly fifteen minutes later. Cordelia stood and walked closer.

“Yes? What do you need?” Not mean, but rather dripping with care.

“Could ya hand me a towel?” The screeching of metal, and then the water sound stopped. 

“Of course.” The older girl strode to the hall closet and removed a soft, fluffy, white towel. A wet hand stuck out from the shower when she returned to the room. Cordelia placed the towel in it, letting her fingers run over Misty’s wrist before she stepped back.

“Thank you.” Moments later, she exited the shower. Cordelia’s heart fluttered. Misty’s hair hung in limp curls, darkened by the water. The towel was wrapped around her slim body, stopping barely down her thigh due to her height. Cordelia scolded herself not for the first time that evening. She couldn’t help her thoughts, but now was not the time for them. Misty didn’t need someone ogling at her appearance. She was probably feeling terrible. 

The younger girl left her school uniform on the bathroom floor when Cordelia guided her back to the bedroom. “Do you want me to stay while you dress?” Cordelia asked, gentle.

Misty nodded. She knelt down and unzipped her bag, rifling through before tugging out black leggings and a gray tee shirt. The latter didn’t look like something Misty would wear- it was noticeably too big and she hadn’t even put it on yet. Misty seemed to read Cordelia’s mind. “It’s my dad’s. I got real nervous, my first year at Miss Robichaux, and so he sent me with one of his shirts so I could remember him easy. It sorta became tradition.” She held the clothing item up, then to her face. Cordelia could hear her inhale. “It smells like him. I thought it would be good for me, to have it now, but I don’t think I wanna.” Her voice choked over itself at the end, and Cordelia bent down beside her. 

“You don’t have to. I’ll give you one of my shirts. I have lots with Stevie’s face on them, how’s that? You can keep it if you like it.”

Misty looked up at Cordelia with pure adoration, like she’d just been offered a million dollars. She wiped at a tear on her cheekbone with the back of her palm. “You’re very nice.” 

“You always deserve to be treated with kindness.” Cordelia mumbled, now fumbling through one of her dresser drawers. Misty tugged on clean underwear and the leggings while her back was turned. She hung the towel on the door handle of the room. 

“Here.” Cordelia offered a dark green shirt with a photo of Stevie Nicks in the 70s right in the middle. She didn’t dwell on the fact that Misty was half naked in front of her. ‘It isn’t fair,’ she convinced herself, ‘to feel anything for her besides pity right now.’ Still, she wondered if Misty would find solace in physical affection. The teacher knew how much the blonde loved hugs. ‘But, you could overstep boundaries.’

“Could we make brownies now?” A soft voice spoke, and Cordelia smiled.

“Let’s go. Come on. Do you want to hold my hand?” In a split second, she decided that asking was the best way to make sure Misty wouldn’t be uncomfortable. The younger girl didn’t verbally answer. She grabbed Cordelia’s hand, lacing their fingers together almost painfully tight. 

 

They walked down the steps close together, shoulders brushing. Cordelia didn’t know how to go about talking. At the bottom of the stairs, Misty relinquished her hand, and Cordelia felt her posture slump at the loss of contact. But then, Misty quickly grabbed her around the waist and hugged. Her face tucked into Cordelia’s neck, freshly washed hair making everything it touched damp. 

“I’m sorry.” Cordelia pulled back slightly, confused by the fact that the words certainly hadn’t come out of her own mouth. Sorry? What the hell did Misty have to be sorry for? 

“Why?” They still stood in each other’s arms. Neither moved to fully pull away.

“I’m interruptin’ your whole life.” Misty spoke without any harshness. The guilt and sadness and it’s-all-my-fault was palpable. 

“I wanted you to.” Cordelia insisted, cupping the other girl’s cheek so she could look her in the eyes. “I signed up for this myself. I’m going to protect you, and I’m going to comfort you as much as I can.” Misty inhaled a breath, like she was trying to hold back tears, and reached out and tucked a strand of dirty-blonde hair behind Cordelia’s ear. For a moment, the older girl genuinely thought Misty might kiss her. But the younger girl spun around, towards the kitchen, oblivious. Cordelia trailed after her. “Do you want me to put on music?” She plugged her phone into the speaker on her counter.

“I like to have it whenever I’m doin’ stuff. Always a background noise. I don’t like pitch quiet.” Misty said. 

“I understand.” Cordelia put Fleetwood Mac on again. The sound of ‘Dreams’ filled the room, and Misty muttered the words softly.

“Now, here you go again, you say you want your freedom… Well who am I to keep you down?” 

A soft grin danced its way over Cordelia’s lips. ‘She’s precious.’ But. “Are you a good cook?”

Misty stopped singing. “I never really learned much. I can cook enough to survive by myself, but I don’t know any of those fancy recipes.” Cordelia dug around in her cabinets.

“Well, we're making the brownies out of a box, because I’m nothing special with it either. Maybe we could learn.” 

‘We’. It struck Misty’s soul. She loved spending time with Cordelia. She definitely wanted to spend more, yes. If she could avoid thinking about the circumstance which brought her here, at least… “I think that sounds fun, Miss Cordelia.” 

 

Soon, a box of chocolate brownie mix, a big glass bowl, a carton of eggs, and a hand mixer were all on the counter. 

“Can I pour in the mix?” Misty asked, standing inches behind Cordelia and looking over her shoulder. 

Cordelia opened the brownie mix box and pulled out the package of powder. “If you can get it open. You might need scissors.” 

Misty moved to stand beside the slightly shorter girl, and tugged at the packaging til it opened. A tiny bit of powder exploded in her face. Most of it landed on her shirt, which she promptly brushed off, but a smudge lingered on her cheek. Cordelia leaned in. She ran her pointer finger over the smudge. The younger girl blushed. ‘It’s easy to get her embarrassed.’ Cordelia considered.

Misty poured the mix in, and Cordelia cracked two eggs. Then they added a bit of water, and took turns mixing. “This is fun.” Misty said, overly excited. It broke Cordelia’s heart in the best way. She hummed in response. 

Cordelia did the honors of sticking the pan in the oven. “‘I Love Lucy’ is always on this time of night. Do you want to watch it?” 

“I’ve never seen it. My parents-” She took a deep breath and refocused her thoughts. “They used to watch it, I think.” 

“Do you want to watch it?” Cordelia repeated. 

The word ‘thoughtful’ came to Misty’s mind. ‘She’s too nice to me. I don’t deserve that.’ “Yes.” 

The two wandered into the living room and sat on the couch. Their legs rested against each other. Misty leaned her head on Cordelia’s shoulder. Cordelia turned on the television, and they let Lucille Ball entertain them. Misty seemed to positively love the show, always laughing at jokes that weren’t that funny. Cordelia just found it endearing. They got up twenty minutes in to get the brownies out and let them cool, then forty minutes later they dug in. 

“I’m tired.” Misty whispered against Cordelia’s shirt. 

“Bed time?” 

“Mhm.” 

Cordelia stood up, softly pulling Misty with her. She folded tinfoil over the top of the brownie pan and left it on the counter. Misty kept a hand on Cordelia at all times, but it moved- first her shoulder, then her back, and now her waist. 

 

Cordelia accompanied Misty to the bathroom, per her request. She stood behind the girl as she brushed her teeth, and tugged a comb through her hair. “Let me help.”

“My hair’s hopeless.” Misty sighed. Cordelia removed the comb from the other girl’s hand anyways. She held the top of each piece of hair she combed so as not to pull. Misty’s eyes drooped. “That feels nice.” 

“I can do it more tomorrow, if you’d like that. But now, you need sleep.” Cordelia said. “Go lay down, I’ll be there in a second.” 

Misty nodded. She walked to the bedroom, and slid under the covers of Cordelia’s bed. It was comfier than the dorm room beds, or maybe she was just exhausted. She forced her eyes open until Cordelia stepped into the room, but of course Cordelia had to change into pajamas. She allowed her eyes to shut just while Cordelia was dressing. At the feeling of the other side of the bed dipping, they opened again. 

“Get some sleep.” Cordelia said. She slid down under the covers too, and laid on her side so they could face each other. 

“What if I see it in my dreams?” Cordelia could assume what Misty meant, deciding not to pry.

“Then wake me up. I’ll be right here the entire night, okay?” 

“Okay. Goodnight, Miss Cordelia.” Her eyelids fluttered before succumbing to the tiredness. 

Cordelia giggled. She pushed a now-dry blonde lock from Misty’s face. ‘I hope she sleeps.’


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys I’m running on three hours of sleep and I had to blast heavy metal in my earbuds while I proofread this so I wouldn’t fall asleep... Happy reading? 
> 
> P.S.! I have an entire list of cute stuff Cordelia and Misty are gonna do together (like going to the movies, etc) but if you have any things you’d like to see let me know!!

Cordelia woke to sunlight pouring through her windows; not completely concealed by the sheer curtains. She thought, for a moment, about the previous night, then rolled over.

Misty appeared calm as ever. She was laying on her back, blonde curls splaying out over the white pillow. Her face was expressionless, but in a way that made her look peaceful, not scared. Cordelia considered not waking her up. However, she didn’t want the younger girl to be anxious when she woke, so she reached out and brushed the back of her hand along Misty’s cheek. The blonde opened her blue eyes suddenly. 

“Good morning.” Cordelia said. Her hand grazed Misty’s cheek again. “How are you feeling?” 

Misty furrowed her eyebrows. “Why do ya say that, Miss Cordelia?” She asked, sleepily. Cordelia twisted a piece of her own hair around her finger. Nervous. It dawned on Misty. “Oh. Well, I feel okay, I guess…” Cordelia could see the other girl’s thoughts running through her head; could see the way she started to panic, barely. 

“Hey, Hey. It’s okay.” The older girl sat up and pulled Misty with her, then into her arms. “I’ve got you.” Shaky breaths fell into the crook of her neck. 

“Don’t let go.” Misty said. It was quiet, and almost embarrassed. Cordelia raked her fingers through the younger girl’s hair. Their hugs had never before exceeded a few seconds, but somehow it felt natural. In an achy, rueful way. 

“I won’t. Not until you want me to.” Cordelia assured. 

Then, as if realizing all she’d done, Misty pulled away abruptly. “I’m sorry. I’m burdenin’ you. I should call…” She trailed off. Who the hell was she going to call now? Who would want to hang out with her? “My mom was my best friend.” She admitted, eyes cast downward. 

“Misty.” Cordelia tipped Misty’s face up with a gentle hand on her chin, forcing the eye contact. “You are not a burden. I told you I wanted you here last night, and I stand by it. Shit, you care so much about other people. What about you?” 

Tears welled up in Misty’s eyes. “I- I don’t know. I thought people liked that I put others before myself.” The soft touch of Cordelia’s thumb to her cheek wiped away tears that were falling down her face. She hadn’t even noticed. 

“It’s a good quality to have, Misty, but you need to come first.” Misty started to open her mouth in protest. “No. If you have enough love for everybody you meet, surely you’ve got some left over for yourself, right?”

“It’s just- I hate to see people hurting. No one deserves to be in pain, unless they’ve done bad things. And still, I don’t really know if that’s right.” 

“I hate to see people hurting, too.” Cordelia whispered, catching another tear on her fingertip. “That includes you.” 

Misty stared into the older girl’s eyes as if she were searching for something. “You always know what to say.” 

“Do you want breakfast?” Cordelia asked. She let her hand fall to Misty’s lap. 

“Yeah.”

“And we can do something fun today. Whatever you want.” She slid her legs over the side of the bed and her feet hit the floor. 

“Can we just stay here?” Misty followed Cordelia towards the hallway. “I don’t know if I want to, ya know, go somewhere. Unless you want to! Then, of course, I-”

Cordelia spun around and placed her forefinger to Misty’s lips, effectively making her fall silent. “Remember what I said. We’re doing what you want. No further arguments.” Misty whined (a sound that would have made Cordelia extremely turned on under other circumstances) but didn’t comment.

 

Eggs sizzled in the pan. Misty sat on the kitchen floor, back against the cabinets. She was setting up a game of Go Fish. Cordelia wasn’t even sure where the cards had come from, but they were somehow in one of the junk drawers, and Misty was ecstatic about playing. 

“Do you want coffee?” Cordelia asked, narrowly stepping around the other girl to reach the plates. 

“I only like it with lots of cream and sugar.” Misty replied. Her accent was thicker in the mornings. It warmed Cordelia’s heart, who took that answer as a ‘yes’ and grabbed 2 mugs too. She plated the eggs, and pancakes she’d made with rainbow sprinkles in the batter. The plates were placed on the floor, by Misty, and Cordelia filled the mugs with coffee. She kept her own black, but she poured generous amounts of cream and sugar into Misty’s cup. 

“Here you go.” Misty took the drink, and looked up at Cordelia with an adorable smile. “Sweet enough for you?” 

Misty sipped from the cup without caution. A noise of pleasant surprise left her throat before she spoke. “It’s perfect, Miss Cordelia.” 

“Good. Now, you’ve got to refresh my mind with Go Fish. I don’t think I’ve played since I was a little girl.” Cordelia sat down across from Misty, leaving just enough space for the cards.

“Oh, it’s simple. You gotta ask me if I have either a kinda fish, or a number that you’ve got. The goal is to get a set of 4 of either one, which is how many there are in the deck. If I don’t have the one you asked for, then you ‘go fish’, which is drawin’ from the pile.” Misty gestured at the pile of spread-out cards between them. Oh, and yes. It wasn’t a regular deck of cards, it was a children’s version of the game. Different cartoon fish were printed on every card. 

‘Where the hell did this come from?’ Cordelia wondered, yet again. A memory came to her, warm, of her and Fiona playing the game on the living room rug or at the dining table. But just as likely a daydream as a memory.

“Do ya get it?” Misty prompted, looking into her face; staring into her soul. 

“I think so.” Cordelia hummed. “You go first, though.” 

“Alright. Do you have…” Misty studied her hand. “A starfish?” Cordelia’s eyes skimmed her own set of cards.

“Shit.” Cordelia said, pouting. She handed over a card with a big yellow starfish on it. Cartoon, of course. 

“You gotta stop bein’ so cute, or you’re gonna distract me from the game!” Misty’s giggles lightly plagued her words. Cordelia could feel her eyes widening, and her cheeks reddening. 

“Sorry?” Cordelia muttered, unsure what to say. Misty just giggled some more. 

“Do ya have a goldfish?” 

“Go fish.” 

Misty sighed, and grabbed a card. “Your turn.” 

“Got a shark?” 

“Go fish.” Misty said, mirth dancing across her face. 

“Oh, I see how it is.” Cordelia responded with mock offense. She crept forward. “You better not be lying to me.” She whispered, hot in Misty’s ear. When she returned to her spot on the other side of the pile of cards, she looked up to see Misty biting her lip. A rather disorienting sight, one might say. 

“I’d never lie to ya.” 

Cordelia swallowed. She plucked a card from the deck. It was a shark. “Ha! I get to go again, don’t I?” She flashed the object at Misty, who nodded. “Okay… Do you have an octopus?” 

“You’re lucky, Miss Cordelia.”

 

After Go Fish (Misty won with a smug grin) and breakfast, they were back in Cordelia’s room, debating on what to wear. 

“We could stay in our pajamas all day.” Cordelia said.

“Yeah, but then wouldn’t we just have to change into different pajamas before bed tonight?” 

“You’re right. Okay. But jeans are not happening.” Cordelia opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of leggings and a silky white tank top that looked almost similar to lingerie. Misty tugged a pair of comfortable black shorts and another big tee shirt from her duffle bag. Only this time, the shirt was Fleetwood Mac. “How many of those do you have?” 

“A lot.” 

“I don’t doubt it.” Cordelia said with a lopsided smile. She went into the en-suite to change, but left the door cracked. 

“I still can’t believe about those tickets.” Misty said. Her voice was partially muffled by her tugging her shirt over her head. 

“It’s gonna be fun, don’t you think?” 

Misty half scoffed, half laughed. “I know it’s gonna be fun.” 

They were silent for a moment after, and then Cordelia entered the bedroom again, tugging a brush through her hair. Misty was staring at her cellphone. “Got a lot of texts?” Cordelia asked.

“Zoe called me twelve times last night. I think she did somethin’ with Kyle.” Misty put the phone down on the floor. 

“Well. What do you want to do now?” Cordelia questioned, bumping her hip with the other girl’s. Misty shrugged, and that’s when Cordelia noticed the bare fingernails. “Can I paint your nails?” 

“I’ve only painted ‘em once or twice.” Misty mused. “But alright. If I can do yours.” 

“After that, I can braid your hair, if you want. We can have a whole spa day.” 

“That sounds so fun!” Misty squealed, jumping into Cordelia’s arms. They nearly toppled to the ground. 

“Okay. I’m glad.” For some reason, Cordelia’s voice broke.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is later than usual, and I’m sorry! But I hope you enjoy this nonetheless :)) It’s also kinda short, but I’ve got lots of fun stuff planned so just stay tuned!!!

Misty and Cordelia were now sat on the couch, facing each other. Nail polish bottles were collected on the floor. 

“So, what color?” Cordelia asked, adjusting her position. 

“I don’t know. Whatever you think would look the best.” 

“Well, what’s your favorite color?” 

“Purple.” 

Cordelia smiled softly, and grabbed a lavender bottle. “Like this?” Misty nodded. “Okay. Hold out your hands.” The younger girl did as she was told, and Cordelia took one of the hands in her own. 

“Miss Cordelia.” Cordelia looked up. “Can I ask ya somethin’?” 

“Of course. You don’t have to ask if you can ask me questions.” She looked back down and began coating Misty’s fingernails with the polish.

“Will I be sad forever?”

Cordelia’s hands stilled. Her heart ached, because she didn’t know. She didn’t know when the feeling would end; she was still waiting for the shake in her hands when people would talk about their parents to go away. “No,” she said, deciding Misty didn’t deserve the bitter truth. “For a while, maybe, but that’s okay. You’re supposed to be sad. Grieving when you need to is just as important as happiness.” 

Misty appeared to apprehend Cordelia’s words, as she nodded slowly. 

“Okay?” 

“Yeah.” 

“This color is really pretty.” Misty could tell Cordelia was simply trying to change the subject, but she smiled anyways. 

“I like it. Can I ask ya somethin’ else?” 

Cordelia looked up at Misty with a raised eyebrow.

“Damnit, I forgot! I’m sorry.” The younger girl wriggled on the couch like she was fighting to keep still. 

“You don’t have to apologize.” Cordelia muttered. She set Misty’s hand on her own lap, then grasped the other one. 

“Have you…” Misty inhaled audibly. “Have you ever lost someone?” 

Cordelia blinked. ‘Well, that was unexpected.’ “How did you know?”

“I’m good at readin’ people.” Misty said, blushing. “I could tell. The way you talked about sadness.” 

Cordelia sighed, an internal debate swarming in her head. Did she really want to tell Misty her entire life story while the girl was so fragile? Would she have asked if she didn’t want to know? She finished painting Misty’s nails before putting the cap back on the bottle, and slouching. “My mother.” Misty placed a hand on Cordelia’s leg, careful not to smudge her nail polish. “I thought that her dying would make me whole again; put back the piece of my heart she ripped from my chest the first time she screamed at me. But I feel the same. And I know I should hate her, for everything she did to me, but it’s been so quiet this past year that I’m forgetting how awful she was. It’s like I want to forgive her, but I don’t want to.” She paused to sigh again. “God, I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. It’s not about me right now, it’s about you, and-” A sniffle made her fall silent. She looked back to Misty, who was now in tears. “I didn’t mean to upset you. Jesus.” 

“I’m so sorry, Miss Cordelia. I don’t know how someone could be mean to ya.” Misty managed, between sobs. 

Cordelia, of course, was mentally berating herself. ‘Now, look what you’ve done. She’s too pure to hear your stupid sob story.’ “Misty. Please stop crying.” She brushed away as many tears as she could with her fingertips. “We’re gonna have a fun, relaxing day, remember?” 

“Right. I’m sorry, I just can’t believe anyone could bear to hurt ya.” 

Cordelia smiled, wanting to seem reassuring. “It’s over. Now, you said you wanted to do my nails too, right?”

“Ooh, yeah!” Misty seemed to perk up at this, all but jumping off the couch to observe the color options. “What’s your favorite color?” 

“Green, but I think you should pick.” Cordelia got up and moved to the kitchen, and Misty followed with her eyes.

“Where are you goin’?” 

“Do you want some lemonade?” 

“Yes please!” 

Cordelia chuckled to herself. “Coming right up, princess.” She didn’t see Misty bite her lip to keep from smiling at the pet name.

 

“I picked pink.” Misty explained as Cordelia sat back down with their drinks. “It’s a happy color.”

“You’re right.” Misty reached for her hand, and Cordelia let her. 

“I’ve done this on Zoe a few times.” Misty said. She put more care into painting than Cordelia would’ve expected, dragging the brush smoothly over her nails and allowing no mistakes. “Painted her nails, I mean.” 

“Shouldn’t you be calling her back?”

“I will later. Guarantee it’s somethin’ with Kyle.” 

“She seems to really like him.” 

Misty smirked. “Yeah. She gets a little boy crazy sometimes, if ya ask me.” 

“What about you?” 

“What?” Misty didn’t shift her gaze from Cordelia’s nails, focusing only on applying the pale pink polish with as much grace as possible.

“Are you boy crazy?” Her voice took on the same edge it had in botany yesterday, Misty thought. Not quite seductive, but definitely teasing. 

“I’ve never had a boyfriend.” Misty admitted. Then, an afterthought: “Or a girlfriend.” It doesn’t escape her how Cordelia can’t think of what to say in response. 

“Oh.” The older girl settled on. 

“Yeah. Sometimes boys ask me out, but I don’t say yes. Not really into them.” Misty decided then and there that she could care less about the definition of whatever her sexuality was- she was definitely open to dating girls. Definitely. 

“Oh.” Again. 

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Misty ventured. “Don’t look so shocked, Miss Cordelia, you basically asked me!” 

Cordelia hung her head in defeat, and Misty began painting the next hand. “No. I married this guy, though, to spite my mother, and he turned out to be a total asshole. Also, that’s when I realized I didn’t even like men. So, we divorced, but I’m sure he’s still upset about it.” 

“You’re awful young to have been married, Miss Cordelia.” Misty said. She finished with the polish, and set the bottle back down. Then she picked up one of Cordelia’s hands and blew softly on her nails. Cordelia couldn’t contain her slight shudder. 

“It was stupid.” Cordelia replied, like she was agreeing to something that hadn’t been said. 

Misty wasn’t looking at her anymore. Instead, she was focused on her own nails, tilting them to see the bit of shimmer that peeked through in the right lighting. “How long do I have to wait for these to dry?”

“I don’t know. Always way longer than you think. Do not touch them!” She said the last sentence as Misty reached out gingerly as if to test the tackiness of the polish. 

“What are we gonna do next?” Misty questioned, leaning back into the couch with defeat. Cordelia mirrored her actions.

“Well, I can’t braid your hair until my nails are dry. So… I don’t know. We can go for a walk, if you want. Just around the block?” 

“Oh, yes please!” Misty said, nearly toppling off the couch. Her enthusiasm for even the smallest things was mind boggling. 

Cordelia laughed quietly. “Okay. Come on, then.” She pat Misty’s knee before standing, then went in search of shoes. Misty’s footsteps as she bolted up the stairs echoed throughout her house, and Cordelia closed her eyes briefly. 

Calm.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished this one early, so thought I’d publish it early :) Lots of fluff ahead- beware.

Every single one of Cordelia’s movements stilled when Misty grabbed her hand. It was different this time- different from when they’d held hands before- because she wasn’t crying or being dragged someplace. The two were strolling leisurely down the sidewalk. Misty had just… well, grabbed her hand. She’d laced their fingers together calmly, an innocent smile upon her face. 

“This is nice.” Misty whispered. The sun shone high in the sky, bathing everything in warm, soft lighting. Misty looked alive, Cordelia thought. Not sad, or depressed, or anxious. The older girl couldn’t help but grin at the fact that she was the one who’d caused Misty such comfort. It was a good feeling- making others happy. Cordelia could understand why Misty liked it so much.

“I think so too. It’s a beautiful day.” They were still clad in their lounge clothes, but neither seemed to care.

“Hey, do you have your phone?” Misty asked. She stopped walking.

“Why? What’s the matter?” Cordelia asked back, impending panic crossing her features.

“Oh, no. Nothing’s wrong, Miss Cordelia. I just… You look real pretty right now, and I wanted to take a picture of you.” Misty turned her head away in embarrassment. 

Cordelia melted. 

No one had ever wanted to take photos of her before. And the thought that Misty, just by looking at her in the sunlight, had immediately thought ‘God, she looks pretty; I should take her picture,’ made her face heat up (but not from the weather).

“You are so precious.” Cordelia said quietly. She took her phone from her purse, and handed it over. “I don’t know how to pose.” 

“Ya don’t gotta. Just,” Misty tilted Cordelia’s chin slightly so she was looking at the house across from the sidewalk. “Like that. Good…” She breathed. Cordelia gulped. Then, thankfully, Misty stepped away from her body and held the phone up. “Now, this is gonna look awesome.” 

“You think?”

“I know. And be still.” Misty moved around a bit, tilting the phone at different angles and snapping pictures. When she was done, she squealed with excitement. “These are so pretty, Miss Cordelia!” She rushed back over to the older girl and shoved the phone in her hands. “Look.”

Cordelia swiped through, grinning. They were good, she had to admit. “Thank you, Misty.”

Unexpectedly (but maybe it should have been totally expected), Misty planted a kiss on Cordelia’s cheek, for the second time in two days. Cordelia could feel her heart pounding in her entire body. But just as soon as the affection had started, it had ended. Well, not technically, because Misty laced their fingers together once again. 

“Do ya know your neighbors?” Misty queried, breaking the brief silence. 

“Not really. The one to the left of the house is a religious zealot. She offered me a bible when she moved in. Although, I’m pretty sure she killed her son.” Cordelia replied casually.

“What?!”

“I’m kidding, Mist.” The nickname popped out of nowhere, but Cordelia didn’t try and correct herself. 

“Yikes.”

Cordelia laughed. “I’ve been thinking about getting a cat,” she said. The abrupt change in subject made Misty blink, taking a moment to comprehend the words.

“You should.” Misty decided. “I love animals. Especially them little fuzzy ones.”

“Maybe we could go to the shelter tomorrow. You could help me pick him out…?” Cordelia loved this; loved saying things she knew would make Misty ecstatic. They started to walk back towards the house.

“Really? I would love to, Miss Cordelia.” The accented animation in her voice had Cordelia squeezing her hand. Misty’s joy was infectious, like the best kind of disease.

“I think it’d make me feel less lonesome, being in that big house all by myself.” Cordelia confessed, voice low. 

“Yeah, but also, you’ve got me now. Whether ya want to or not, it seems. Didn’t you sign some kinda paperwork?” Misty swung their connected hands back and forth.

“Just confirmed I’m responsible for you until they catch whoever-” Cordelia’s breath caught in her throat. They’d been so good with the conversation until then- no talk of death or anything! 

Misty either paid the second half of the unfinished sentence no mind, or she faked it. “I don’t think I could ever live alone. I’ve been thinkin’ about that, since the summer.” 

“You know-” Cordelia paused. She bit her lip. It was probably definitely unwise to say what she was about to say, but. She knew she meant it. “You could live with me.” Misty was silent, maybe shocked, and Cordelia nervously continued. “If you want to, obviously.”

“Yes, please.” Misty spoke up. Her voice was teary, Cordelia noted.

“No crying.”

Misty shook her head and let go of Cordelia’s hand to pull her into a tight hug. “I think you’re the best person I’ve ever met.” She murmured. 

“I could say the same about you.” Cordelia said into Misty’s hair. It was soon to be sharing such thoughts, maybe, but Misty had thrust her ultimate trust in Cordelia the minute they met eyes the day before when she’d gotten the news. And Cordelia had succumbed to her inability to stop sharing with Misty. Somehow, she’d told the younger girl things she hadn’t told friends she’d known for years. 

“Livin’ with you would be a dream.” Misty’s hands were still snaked around her waist. The grip was comforting, rather than uncomfortable. When Hank had hugged her she felt trapped. This felt different. Like she was safe- protected, rather than suffocated. 

“We could do all sorts of fun things.” 

Misty just hummed in response. Her fingers scratched lightly at Cordelia’s back, who relaxed completely into the touch. 

“You wanna head back?” Cordelia asked.

“Just a minute.” Misty responded. She stayed squeezing Cordelia for a moment longer, then stepped back. 

“How about we put on face masks and I’ll give you a massage?” Cordelia kept a hand pressed to the small of Misty’s back. 

“Sounds like heaven.” 

 

“Is it supposed to feel all stiff?” Misty tapped a finger to her cheek, which was covered in a black substance. The blonde hadn’t ever seen a face mask like it, but Cordelia had said it was good so she agreed to try it.

“Yep. Don’t worry though, only ten minutes.” 

They were seated on the bathroom floor, timer set on Cordelia’s phone. Misty groaned. “Ten minutes? But Miss Cordelia, that’s so long.” 

Cordelia giggled. “It really isn’t.” 

“But I’m bored.” Misty said pointedly, the combination of the accent and the face mask making her even harder to take seriously. 

“I’m sorry. Do you want to do something? Why don’t you call Zoe?” Misty nodded and left, then returned with her phone. She set it next to her. Then, pressed Zoe’s caller ID, and put it on speaker phone. 

“Misty! Oh my God, I tried to get ahold of you last night but you wouldn’t answer your stupid phone! You will not believe what happened with Kyle. But, shit, how are you?” Zoe’s voice rang out through the poor quality speaker.

“I’m good, Zo. Just tell me about Kyle. I know you’re dyin’ to.” Misty absentmindedly placed her hand on Cordelia’s knee, tracing patterns with her finger over the fabric of her leggings. Cordelia let a teeny tiny strangled noise out, but Misty didn’t appear to notice. 

“Well, Madison called me yesterday after I got home and told me about this house party one of his friends was having. So, we went, and Kyle and I talked the entire time. He’s so interesting, Mist. And he genuinely cares about things.” 

Misty couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s happiness. “I’m happy for ya. He seems sweet.” 

“He is! You wouldn’t even believe. But I should be asking about you.” 

“Don’t worry about me. If you need to ask questions, I can call ya later.” Misty’s hand traveled the slightest bit higher, and Cordelia started counting the tiles on the floor to distract herself. 

“If you’re sure…” 

“I’m positive! I love you, Zoe.” 

“I love you too, Mist. You can call me tonight if you want. I really do care about how you’re doing.” 

“I know. But I gotta go now. Bye!” 

“Bye!”

“Told ya it was about Kyle.” Misty said to Cordelia.

“I’m glad she’s happy. And you, too.” Cordelia sighed at the end of her sentence, glancing at the time on her phone. “I have to admit, you are right. Ten minutes is longer than I thought.” 

Misty nodded furiously. 

 

“You might have to take your shirt off…” At this, Misty was tugging her shirt over her head without questions. “Oh! Um.” And there she stood, bare from the waist up besides her bra, staring at Cordelia intently. “Lie down.” She gestured towards the couch and Misty lay on it on her stomach. Instantly, she felt Cordelia’s hands on her back, pushing down just enough to feel good. The older girl kneaded Misty’s skin, thumbs and palms pressing harder. 

“You’re real good at that.” Misty mumbled. Her eyes were closed. Cordelia’s hands dug into the skin around her shoulder blades; Misty couldn’t help the soft moan that escaped her lips. Oops.

But Cordelia continued onward like nothing happened, though Misty desperately wished she could see the older girl’s face. And Misty, for one, kept her lip snug between her teeth for the rest of the time Cordelia was massaging her back. 

 

“Lunch?” Cordelia questioned. Misty sat up.

“Alright.” 

“Come on, let’s go somewhere. My treat.” She whispered, close to Misty’s face. 

“Race ya.” Misty said. Then, she took off.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic may actually go on forever because I love writing them so much and never wanna let them go. And don't worry, a kiss is happening soon! I promise ;)
> 
> PS. I swear this has a plot besides fluff. It's coming.

“How are you so thin?” Cordelia asked, genuinely confused. Misty had just ordered a cheeseburger and fries, and was currently snacking on the three (3!) appetizers she’d picked. 

“I don’t know.” Misty answered with a shrug, taking a big sip of her coca cola. 

“Well.” Cordelia paused. “The dance is on Wednesday, right? What is it with this school and dances?”

“Yeah, Wednesday. I don’t like goin’ to ‘em but Zoe always forces me.” Misty punctuated the sentence with a large bite of mozzarella stick. Cordelia shook her head in amusement. 

“I think I’m going to be stuck chaperoning again.” 

“In that case, I may just hang out with you the whole night. Now that Zoe’s got Kyle…” 

“Please do. But I imagine girls are going to be asking you to dance left and right. And boys.” Cordelia teased, smiling. 

Misty scrunched her nose up. “I don’t think so.”

“Why not?” Cordelia questioned, amusement still buzzing in her voice.

“Most folks don’t like the way I dress, or my Stevie.” Misty looked pointedly down at the dress she’d changed into- pale blue and flowy. It didn’t hug her curves but it was short, really short, which was enough to get Cordelia’s heart racing. 

“Fuck them.” Cordelia said casually. Misty’s eyes widened at the curse word but she didn’t say anything. “You’re much cooler than anyone they’d be interested in.” The older girl winked, and Misty blushed.

“Miss Cordelia, are you flirtin’ with me?” She leaned in, despite the table separating them, and smirked.

“Maybe.” Cordelia replied, leaning in too. They were close enough to kiss, she mused, breathing deep and glancing down at Misty’s lips. 

“Alright, ladies. Who ordered the salad?” A voice interrupted. Cordelia jumped back, startled. 

“She did.” Misty answered for her. She seemed much more composed than Cordelia felt. The waiter placed the bowl down in front of the older girl, then the burger in front of Misty.

“Enjoy.” 

 

“Can we go swimmin’?” Misty asked as they walked back towards Cordelia’s house. Nothing, much to Cordelia’s dismay, of significance had occured at the restaurant, and Misty was back to her warm, adorable self.

‘No, that’s ridiculous,’ sat on Cordelia’s tongue, but one look at Misty’s puppy-dog eyes had her blurting “That’s a wonderful idea.” 

Misty grinned. She looked angelic. “Do ya have a bathing suit I can borrow?” 

“Sure.” Cordelia unlocked the door and they stepped inside. Misty was running up the stairs before Cordelia could even set her bag down. She followed, slower, and when she got to her room Misty was sat on her bed and bouncing. 

“I’m excited.” The younger girl explained.

Cordelia raised an eyebrow. “I can see that.” She searched the drawer which contained her bathing suits for something that would fit Misty. Despite the height, their figures seemed to be similar. And so, Cordelia picked her most risque bikini. Definitely not because she wanted to see her in it. Definitely not. She tossed the red fabric behind her blindly.

“Thanks!” Misty said, and Cordelia heard footsteps then a door closing.

Cordelia changed quickly into a plain black one-piece. 

And nothing- literally nothing- could have prepared her for Misty when she returned. 

The girl’s blonde curls were slightly mussed, and the red bikini was tight and contrasted with her pale skin in a way that made Cordelia gulp. “Are ya ready?” Misty asked. She appeared to be blissfully unaware of how damn good she looked. Cordelia swallowed and looked away, reining in her wandering thoughts. 

“Yes. I’ll grab, uh, towels. Do you want something to put on over that?” 

“It’s alright. I’ve got some shorts.” Misty bent over, sifting through her duffle bag. 

Cordelia left the room in search of towels- the only way she could avoid ogling. ‘God, this is bad,’ she thought to herself. But then again, was it? Misty was the one who’d playfully questioned Cordelia about flirting. And, Misty was the one who’d kissed her cheek. Twice. Well, two could play at that game. 

 

Misty cannon-balled into the pool approximately seven seconds after their arrival. She emerged with a laugh and an outreached hand. “Come on, Miss Cordelia.” 

“It looks cold.” Cordelia said. She was hesitant, never having been one to enjoy swimming pools, but Misty wasn’t having it. 

“It ain’t, I swear. A little at first, but you get used to it.” Misty drifted closer to where Cordelia was standing on the edge, and traced a fingernail along the older girl’s ankle. “Come on.” 

Damnit. 

Cordelia tugged off the dress covering her bathing suit and jumped in next to Misty, who squealed at the water splashing her. The younger girl’s hands were immediately on her waist. 

“You bitch!” Cordelia exclaimed. “It is cold!” 

Misty tugged her closer. “Sorry.” She breathed. 

Suddenly, Cordelia was very warm. “It’s okay, princess.” Misty smiled. “Hmm, but on second thought, it isn’t.” With that, she shoved Misty under the water. 

Misty came up with a gasp on her lips. “You didn’t,” she said. 

“I’m sorry.” Cordelia hummed, but couldn’t quite manage to sound sincere. Misty jabbed her fingers at Cordelia’s ribs, gently at first, then attacking the other girl with tickles. Laughter bubbled from Cordelia’s throat. “Stop,” she requested weakly.

“Nope.” Misty sing-songed. And she didn’t stop.

“Please.” Cordelia pleaded, between giggles. “I-I’ll buy you ice cream.” That had Misty stepping back. 

“Two scoops?” Her hands still hovered at Cordelia’s sides.

“Yep.” 

“Okay.” Misty responded, seeming awfully pleased with herself. She turned and hoisted herself out of the water, already trailing wet footprints towards where they sold snacks and ice cream. 

Cordelia was at her side, wallet in hand, moments later. “Whatcha want?”

“Two scoops of vanilla. In a cone.” Misty said, eyes on the worker but fingers lacing with Cordelia’s. 

“Nothing for me.” Cordelia supplied at the worker’s gaze. She paid, and Misty was thrilled with her dessert. The sun had, however, begun to melt it almost as soon as she’d gotten it. They walked back to where their towels were laid on the ground, but stayed standing. 

“This is delicious.” Misty muttered. She licked the ice cream slowly, with her eyes closed. Cordelia had no idea how Misty didn’t know she was being so fucking attractive. “Wanna try?” Misty held out the cone. 

Cordelia licked it. “Mm! You’re right.” Misty licked it again, but this time, a drop of ice cream landed right below her collarbone. It ran quickly down her chest, and Misty noticed it with a huff.

“Why’s it gotta be so hot?” 

Cordelia couldn’t fight it; she caught the liquid with her finger just at the top of her breast. Misty watched her every movement. In her daze, the rest of the ice cream had started to melt even more rapidly, and thus had started coating the hand that was clutching it. 

“I’m gonna be all sticky.” Misty complained softly. She threw the ice cream in the trash, then grabbed Cordelia’s hand. She pulled them back towards the pool, running, and Cordelia had no choice but to jump in again.


	12. Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to have the next chapter (the dance) out early <3

The next day, as Cordelia promised, she and Misty went to the animal shelter. The younger blonde was practically bouncing off the walls with eagerness. And, of course, she’d asked to pet every single cat there was. 

“Do any of them stand out?” Cordelia asked. Misty was distracted with an orange kitten, and she turned abruptly at the voice.

“It’s your cat, Miss Cordelia.” Cordelia didn’t respond, sensing that there was more. “But… I like her.” Misty spun, and pointed at a little white cat behind it’s glass confinement. Cordelia observed the animal for a moment, and then turned to the employee.

“We’ll take her.” 

Misty squealed, and wrapped her arms around Cordelia’s waist. She buried her face into the crook of her neck. 

“Happy?” Cordelia teased, running a hand through Misty’s curls. The younger girl just nodded. 

“Ma’am, if you could fill out this paperwork, please..?” The employee questioned. She held out a clipboard. Cordelia nudged Misty softly so she would relinquish her hold. 

“What should we name her?” Misty asked. She was still standing extremely close. It was, simply put, distracting. 

“How about Stevie?” Cordelia replied. She felt arms around her middle again, and Misty’s chin resting on her shoulder.

“It’s perfect.”

Cordelia hummed. “I think so too.” Suddenly, the beginning of ‘Rhiannon’ filled the room, and Misty sighed, pulling her phone from her pocket.

“What do you need?” She sounded one hundred percent exasperated. 

“Dude, the dance is on Wednesday!” Cordelia could hear Zoe’s voice through the speaker.

“Yeah. What’s that gotta do with anythin’?” 

“Do you have a dress?”

“No.” Misty knew immediately where this was going. “Look, Zo, I don’t even wanna-”

“Shut up. You’re going, and we’re going dress shopping today. I’m picking you up at three thirty. Just give me Cordelia’s address.”

Misty sighed again.

There was no way she was getting out of this.

 

“Miss Cordelia!” Misty groaned. “Ain’t there some excuse you can make for me?” 

“I’m sorry, princess.” Despite her annoyance, the nickname made Misty smile. “I’m sure you’ll look beautiful at the dance, though.” Cordelia danced her hand along Misty’s thigh. They were sitting on the couch, Stevie tentatively exploring the house. 

Misty fidgeted with her fingers in attempt to stay still. Cordelia’s touch was driving her positively insane. “What time is it?”

Cordelia glanced at the clock on the wall. “Three twenty-six. Is all your stuff packed up?” 

“Uh-huh. I wish I didn’t have to go.” Misty’s eyes met the older girl’s. Her tone of voice was on the brink of panicked. Cordelia used her other hand to tuck a piece of hair behind Misty’s ear. 

“You’ll see me tomorrow.” Cordelia reassured softly. “And we can spend all of next weekend together.” 

“You’re right.” Misty slumped into the couch cushions. 

“And don’t forget about the concert next month.” 

“Oh, yeah! God, that’s gonna be awesome.” 

“Mhm.”

The doorbell rang. Misty reluctantly stood and ran up the stairs to grab her bag. Cordelia got the door. 

“Hi Cordelia,” Zoe greeted.

“Good to see you, Zoe.” They didn’t say anything else, opting for slightly awkward silence, until Misty reappeared. “Give me your phone.” Cordelia requested, nudging the blonde.

Misty’s expression morphed into something like confusion, but she handed over her phone nonetheless. Zoe took her bag with a quiet “Meet you in the car.”

“There.” Cordelia placed the phone back into Misty’s outreached hand. “Now you have my phone number in case you need anything. Or if you just want to talk.” Misty looked down to see that Cordelia had, in fact, created a contact for herself, which read simply: Cordelia <3.

“Thank you. For everything, Miss Cordelia.” Misty paused just outside the doorway. In one swift movement, she kissed Cordelia’s cheek.

Cordelia managed to hide her foolish surprise, smiling widely. “The pleasure is always mine.” 

Misty turned slowly and walked towards Zoe’s car.

“You have to tell me everything that happened,” Zoe sing-songed as she sat down.

“Not right now, Zo.” Misty grumbled. “Can’t I at least get a ‘hi’ or somethin’?”

“Fine, fine. Hi.” She paused, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel as they began driving. “Are you doing okay?”

Misty blinked. Right. Her entire life was now going to be people offering her pity when all she wanted was to move on. That’s all she could do- she had decided. “I’m good.”

“You sure?” 

Misty could feel the dark thoughts bubbling into the forefront of her brain. She changed the subject. “Positive. Now, what kinda dresses are we goin’ for this year?” 

Zoe laughed, thankfully. “It’s senior year, so the dress code isn’t as strict. You should wear red.”

Misty’s mind went back to the previous day; the way Cordelia had looked at her in the red bikini. Yeah, she noticed. And it made her mouth go dry and her heart race, and- “Good idea.” 

“I was thinking of wearing black.”

“You always wear black.”

“It’s the best color.” 

“It ain’t even a color!”

The two dissolved into giggles, and Misty felt calm again. This was Zoe- her very best friend- and she always made her feel safe.

 

“What d’ya think of this one?” Misty quizzed, holding up a dress. It was fire truck red and made of a silky material. The straps were ribbons that tied, and the bodice was tight while the skirt flared out. The blonde had originally thought ‘no’ when she’d seen it, but she knew Zoe would like it. (And Cordelia). (But that’s definitely not why she’d decided to try it on).

Zoe audibly gasped. “Mist, you have to get that one. It’s gonna look so good on you.” She shoved the taller girl towards the dressing rooms. “I’ll meet you in a second. Do not take it off before you let me see.” 

Misty obliged. She changed into the dress quickly, and it fit perfectly. It hung halfway down her thighs, and even she could picture it dreamily with black shiny heels. She opened the door of her changing room to wait for Zoe, who gasped again when she walked in. 

“Oh my God. Everyone’s going to be drooling over you.” 

Misty’s cheeks flushed. “Ya think so?”

Zoe nodded. “Yeah. Go look at shoes while I try these on.” She held up a handful of dresses.

 

Misty was, unexpectedly, not bad at walking in heels. She’d often spent her summers in boots like Stevie Nicks’s, so that was probably part of it. Anyways. She chose a pair of four inch stilettos- shiny black with a pointy toe. She prayed she’d be able to stay upright all Wednesday night. 

Zoe found a dress that was black, strapless, and had a tulle skirt, and they left the store both smiling. 

“You should get your hair and makeup done.” Zoe offered as they drove back to Miss Robichaux. “Madison could do it, but she’d probably go overboard.”

“Alright.” Misty was, for some reason, desperate to look as good as she could for the dance.

Not because Cordelia was going to be there.

Nope. 

Not at all.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this one. Ugh. My bbs.

“I don’t look like myself.” Misty was staring at her reflection in the dorm mirror, tilting her face to inspect the way the highlighter sparkled in the artificial light. Night had just fallen, clothing the outdoors in darkness. She trailed her gaze over her red lips, the short hem of her dress, and most unfamiliar of all- her straightened hair. It was longer than she thought it was.

And yes, she thought she looked pretty- hot, even- but she was more than a tiny bit insecure in how different it all was.

“Shut up. You look gorgeous.” Zoe insisted. Misty resisted the urge to tug her lip between her teeth (an anxious habit) so she wouldn’t mess up her lipstick. “Are you ready to go?” 

“I think so.”

“Come on.” Zoe tugged on Misty’s hand and guided her out of the room. They walked lazily towards the ballroom. Yes, ballroom.

“Aren’t ya meeting Kyle?” 

“Not til we get there. Listen, if you need anything, come find me. I won’t leave without you.” 

The words were decently comforting. “Ya don’t have to do that, Zo.”

Zoe laughed. “There’s no way I’m stranding my best friend at a dance. Especially when she looks like that.” She gestured at Misty’s body.

Misty felt her cheeks warm. She wasn’t used to people complimenting her appearance so enthusiastically. “Alright. If you say so.”

“I do.” 

They reached the ballroom soon after. The music was audible from outside the door. 

“Names?” The boy sitting at the table in the front asked.

“Zoe Benson and Misty Day.” Zoe answered. The boy nodded.

“You’re good to go.” 

The dance was much like all the others Misty had attended, except this time, she was hyper-aware of all the eyes on her. “I feel like everyone’s lookin’ at me funny,” she whispered to Zoe.

“It’s just cuz you’re not normally dressed like this. Don’t pay attention to it.” 

Misty nodded, still anxious. 

Zoe looked around momentarily. “Kyle’s with his friends. Wanna dance? Or we can get drinks?”

Misty didn’t recognize the song playing; it was most definitely modern. “Do ya think Myrtle made pastries?”

“Maybe.” Zoe said with a grin. “Let’s go see.” They made their way towards the refreshments table. A disco ball splashed splotches of white light on everyone periodically. The room was mostly plainly decorated, despite being naturally ridiculously vintage. The chairs that were pushed up to the small number of tables were deep red velvet. 

An excited noise slipped from Misty’s throat as she eyed the snacks. “Cookies,” she breathed. “Myrtle had to have made these, right? They look homemade.” She looked, in wonderment, at the platter of delicious looking chocolate chip cookies.

“Probably.” Zoe picked one up and took a bite. “Oh, definitely. She should own a bakery.” 

Misty grabbed three, taking a bite of one. “Everythin’ she does is magic.” She said, mouth still full. 

“She’s probably a witch.” 

“Mhm.” Misty continued contentedly eating the desserts. As she was chewing, she saw Kyle approach.

“Well, hello, beautiful.” He said to Zoe, looking her up and down.

Misty couldn’t help but smile. She adored compliments, even when they weren’t directed at her.

“Misty, hey.” He directed this comment at the blonde, who hurried to swallow before responding.

“Good to see ya.” She stuck out a hand, which Kyle shook. “Go ahead and dance, y’all. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” Zoe questioned. She stared Misty in the eyes to make sure she wasn’t lying.

“Yep.” Misty smiled again, dimples showing, and Zoe sighed.

“Okay. But remember what I said.” 

Misty nodded, and turned back towards the table to pour herself punch.

“Hey.” A voice sounded, close to her ear. Misty jumped and turned around. Before her stood a boy wearing a navy blue tuxedo, who looked, well, like a douche-bag. Misty could spot, like Madison liked to call them, “fuck boys”, from a million miles away. Zoe had had run-ins with many of them. 

“Hi.” She replied. She could never allow herself to be anything besides polite.

“I’m Archie. Don’t think I’ve seen you at one of these things before. You new?” 

Misty took a long sip of her drink. “No.” Damn this straightened hair.

“Wanna dance?” Something about his voice irked the blonde, and she fidgeted, trying to think of a way out. She scanned the room with her eyes, and couldn’t even spot Zoe in the throngs of people.

“I do.” Thank God. Madison. “You clean up nice.” She said to Misty. 

“Thanks, Maddie.” Misty beamed. It took a lot for Madison to praise someone else’s appearance. Especially Misty’s, seeing as she was the only one of their friends who’d resisted Madison’s attempts to take her shopping.

Madison rolled her eyes as she turned back to Archie. “So, are we dancing? Or are you gonna waste my time?”

Misty could see Archie’s eyes widen. “Hell yeah!” Nope, she definitely might not like boys at all. The two left, and almost immediately, a hand was on her shoulder. She held her breath as she whirled around again, predicting another random Hawthorne boy. She sighed of relief when she was met with a familiar face, wide-eyed.

“Miss Cordelia.” She exhaled, only noticing the look on the older girl’s face after no response came. “You alright?”

“I-um.” Even Misty wasn’t oblivious to the way Cordelia stared her down. It wasn’t predatory, more something of shock mixed with admiration. “Wow. I’m sorry, jeez. You just look… You look incredible.” 

Misty fumbled with the cup in her hand, trying to hide her embarrassment. “So do you.” Cordelia donned a sleek black dress. It was plain, but form-fitting. 

Cordelia seemingly ignored her. “How are you even real?” 

“Stop it!” Misty half complained, half giggled. Although truthfully, she adored the compliments more than she wanted to admit. 

Cordelia hummed quietly and bit her lip. “Never.”

Misty felt hot all over. 

“But alas, I have to get back to chaperoning.” 

Misty bit back a whine. 

“Maybe I’ll see you later, princess.” Cordelia leaned in to whisper the sentence, perfume intoxicating as ever. And with that, she walked away.

 

Another half hour passed, and Misty was sitting at a table with Nan, bored. Boys walked over every now and then. She was pretty sure they had a bet going on about who’d get her to dance.

“This sucks.” Nan commented.

“I might go hang out on the lawn.” Misty said softly. Zoe and Kyle were still out of sight. “Wanna come?” 

“No. I’ve got my eye on someone.” Misty followed Nan’s gaze to a genuinely kind-looking boy, who waved tentatively when he saw them.

“Go talk to him. I’ll see ya tomorrow.” Misty stood, and paused. “If ya see Zoe, tell her I left.” 

“Okay.” 

The halls were eerily quiet. Usually at least someone was laughing too loud or playfully yelling at their roommate, but everything seemed other-worldly tonight. Misty tugged off her heels and carried them in one hand. 

Outside, it was humid in that gross sticky summertime way, but it wasn’t hot now that the sun had set. Misty sat on a random spot on the lawn outside Miss Robichaux- far enough away she would be hard to notice. 

Her phone buzzed.

It was a text from Cordelia: ‘Where are you? Feeling okay? Myrtle’s letting me leave early since everyone’s being fairly calm.’

Misty’s heart warmed as she texted back: ‘On the lawn. Wasn’t having fun.’

Not more than ten seconds later: ‘I’m on my way.’

 

Misty had her head tilted towards the sky, admiring the stars when Cordelia found her. The older girl sat down wordlessly and took off her heels, too.

“There’s lots of constellations this time of year.” Misty said. “There’s the obvious ones, like the Big Dipper, but there’s also Lyra and Cygnus.” She pointed as she said the names. 

“They’re pretty.” Cordelia replied. “You’re smart.” She changed her demeanor from solemn to playful in a matter of moments. “How many boys asked you to dance?” 

Misty groaned. “I lost count. A few guys didn’t even recognize me. They thought I was new.”

Misty watched as Cordelia bit her lip again, appearing as if she was thinking. “Dance with me?” 

Misty nodded quickly and stood up, holding out her hands to pull Cordelia with her. “I don’t really know how, though.” 

“I was forced to go to more than one cotillion when I was little.” Cordelia said. She pulled out her phone, scrolling briefly before ‘Gypsy’ by Fleetwood Mac began playing. “And still, I don’t really know how either.” 

Misty smiled at the song choice and wrapped her arms loosely around Cordelia’s waist, tightening them as the older girl stepped closer. Cordelia rested her hands on Misty’s shoulders. They swayed softly, dully, but Misty felt like she was exploding in the best way. She’d never felt so comfortable in another person’s presence, besides Zoe and-

A tear rolled down her cheek before she even realized where her thoughts were going. 

“Hey, hey.” Cordelia was even closer now. She wiped the tear away with the pad of her thumb. “You’re okay.” 

Misty closed the gap between them, tugging Cordelia into a hug. Maybe simply a way to hide her face and the shame that came with crying in front of the other girl so much, but it made her feel safe nonetheless. 

“Do you want to go back to your dorm?” Cordelia asked into Misty’s hair.

“No. I like dancin’ with you.” She stepped back from the embrace suddenly, and started swaying them again. Tears stained her cheeks and so did mascara, but Cordelia still thought she was prettier than any summer night sky. 

“I like dancing with you, too.”


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew! i am sincerely sorry for the slow burn, but i’m sure lots of you will find the next chapter satisfactory ;) i’ll try to have it up asap.  
> p.s. i know nothin about bowling but i wanted 2 write it so don’t @ me  
> p.p.s. i’ve never been more tired in my life but i proofread this anyways bc <3  
> p.p.p.s. i’ve given up tryna be professional sounding in my notes. this is how i rly type and i’m sorry.

Misty’s knuckles were bloody. 

That’s the only thing Cordelia could focus on as she reached her car in the parking lot. The younger blonde was leaning against the aforementioned vehicle, duffle bag at her feet. It was Friday afternoon, roughly twenty minutes after classes had been dismissed. 

But anyways- Misty’s knuckles.

She was eyeing them as if inspecting a manicure, but looked up once Cordelia was approximately two feet away. “Hey.”

“Misty…?” Cordelia glanced pointedly at Misty’s hand, asking an unspoken question, which apparently Misty wasn’t keen on answering. After a few moments of silence, Cordelia sighed and unlocked the car. Misty placed her bag in the back and slipped into the passenger seat.

Cordelia opted for “How was your day?” rather than ‘Please tell me what the hell happened to you.’ She couldn’t tell if there was a change to Misty’s demeanor or if it was simply because her hands were covered in blood, but something about the younger girl was off-putting in the moment. 

“I had fun in botany.” Misty replied, smiling just a little bit. The words seemed genuine, but Cordelia’s palms were sweating on the steering wheel. “Can we listen to Stevie?” 

“Sure.” Cordelia placed her phone on Misty’s lap, fingertips grazing the soft skin of her thigh. “My passcode is 7293.” She watched out of the corner of her eye as Misty fumbled with the device briefly before ‘Bella Donna’ flowed from the speakers. They sat in silence for the rest of the drive. 

 

Cordelia nudged Misty onto the couch the second they walked through the front door. She placed the other girl’s bag in her room, then grabbed a first aid kit from her bathroom. 

“I got into a fight.” Misty muttered somewhat sheepishly as Cordelia returned to her side. Cordelia’s eyebrows immediately furrowed, wondering how on earth Misty- MISTY- had gotten into fight, nonetheless one that resulted with her knuckles bloodied.

“Seriously?”

Misty nodded. Her cheeks were tinged with pink. “After class, Madison introduced me to this new boy she’s been talkin’ to. She dragged me and Zo all the way to the bridge.” Misty paused, breathing deeply as if still bothered by whatever had happened. “He made fun of my accent. I don’t know what came over me, just all of a sudden I was punchin’ him like mad. Madison made him promise not to tell.” 

Oddly enough, Cordelia felt a surge of joy at the notion that Misty had actually stood up for herself. She got the idea that the younger girl wasn’t usually one for any kind of harshness, even if it meant letting herself get insulted. “God, I’m proud of you, princess.” For the first time, Cordelia noticed the look on Misty’s face at the nickname. She looked like a dream- flushed face and big eyes and even the blood was kind of hot. 

“Really?” 

Cordelia bit her lip, trying as hard as she could to keep her composure. It was seriously doubtful she’d last even a month of this absolute torture. “Oh, yeah. Now, go wash your hands, and then I’ll bandage them. Warm water and soap!” She called the last part after Misty’s retreating form. 

 

“All done.” Cordelia announced as she secured the last of the gauze. She took Misty’s hands in her own and kissed the back of each. 

“Feels better already!” Misty giggled, squirming at the slight touch of Cordelia’s lips to her skin. 

“Does anything else hurt?” God, what was she doing? But Misty only giggled again, and pointed a slender finger at her lips. Oh. Oh dear. Cordelia leaned forward. 

The loud chime of the default iPhone ringtone caused both girls to jump. Cordelia sighed, royally pissed off, and brushed her thumb over Misty’s cheekbone. She debated not picking up, but in the case it was work… 

She forced herself to rise from the couch and grab her phone from the kitchen counter. “Cordelia Goode.” She half-snarled, unintentionally. 

“Good gosh Delia, am I interrupting something?” 

Cordelia released a breath at the familiar voice. “No. Long day. What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to make sure you have a guest for next month.” 

“I do. And she’s pretty overjoyed…” Cordelia’s gaze wandered back to Misty, sat on the couch, plaid skirt riding up.

“Come backstage after, then. I take it she’s a fan?” 

“Possibly your biggest fan ever.” 

They talked for awhile more, and when she returned to the couch, her courage had disappeared. Nonetheless: “Wanna go somewhere this evening?”

“Can we go bowling?”

“Yes.” It was, likely, a problem that she had such a hard time even thinking about saying no to Misty. “Let’s go get changed. We can have soft pretzels and slushies for dinner.”

Misty beamed.

 

It turns out, Misty in tiny denim shorts was just as distracting as her in a bikini. The cropped red and white baseball tee didn’t help much, either. Cordelia had dressed in shorts too, but her’s weren't so short you could see her ass as she bent over to lace her bowling shoes. 

The building was pretty much empty, and they bought two lanes on the far left. Misty picked up a ball with ease. “Good luck,” she said in a tone that screamed haughty confidence. 

Cordelia crept closer till their faces were almost touching. “I think you’ll find that you’re the one who’s going to need it.” 

Misty stepped backwards. “Well we’ll see about that, Miss Cordelia.” She swung her arm forward with ease. The ball rolled and knocked down every pin. Misty twirled around once, excitement crossing her features. “See?!”

“You’re very good.” Cordelia said. She basically mirrored the other girl’s previous movements, getting a strike too.

They played, and Cordelia won, leaving Misty pouting dramatically. “I can’t believe you beat me,” she whined, shoving a cheese fry into her mouth. They were sitting across from one another at a table. 

“I’m sorry!” Cordelia exclaimed. “Hey, look.” She pointed in the direction of a claw machine. “If I get you a stuffed animal, will you cheer up?” 

Misty nodded rapidly. 

“Come on, then.” She looped her arm around Misty’s and dragged her. “This might literally take forever.” She pulled a dollar bill from her purse and fed it to the machine. Misty’s arm rested around her waist as she moved the claw around, then pressed the button. Surprisingly, it worked. Misty retrieved the pink teddy bear with an adorable smile. 

“Thank ya thank ya thank ya thank ya!” Misty spoke in a rush, squeezing the stuffed animal.

“You’re welcome.” 

“Guess what?”

“What?”

“Tomorrow’s my birthday.” 

“But I thought you were eighteen…?” 

“I am. My, uh, parents put me in school a year late. Long story.” Cordelia winced just as much as Misty did at the mention of her parents. She placed a hand on the small of the taller girl’s back reassuringly. 

“Do you have any plans?”

“Nah. Kinda forgot about it until just now, actually.” 

“Don’t you worry, sweetness. I’m going to make sure you have the best birthday in the whole entire world.” Cordelia punctuated the sentence with a poke to the top of Misty’s nose.

“I’ll be happy so long as there’s cake.” Misty said. Her eyes danced with animation as she thought of spending her birthday with Cordelia.

“I bet you will, but there will be plenty more than cake.” Cordelia responded with a wink.

Misty felt as if she was on fire.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> xoxoxo. hehehe. 
> 
> also, smut in the future: yay or nay?

Misty had been stuck in Cordelia’s room for approximately two hours and seventeen minutes. It was now dark outside, and she was getting extremely bored of Candy Crush. So, naturally, it was an immense relief when there was a knock at the door. 

She jumped from the bed to answer it, the black fabric of her dress fanning out. “Are ya ready yet?” 

“Yes.” Cordelia responded, smile gleaming. “Close your eyes.” She took Misty’s hand, unmoving until the younger girl did as she was told.

“I’m excited.” Misty said.

“You should be,” Cordelia hummed. She lead them both down the stairs slowly, and into the living room. Everything was quiet for a second, then two, and then Cordelia’s lips were millimeters from her ear, whispering “Open your eyes.” 

Misty did. The scene before her caused her a  
bit of a sensory overload. The living room was decorated with colorful lights and gold streamers. Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Don’t Stop’ immediately started playing, and Misty looked over her shoulder to see Cordelia holding her cellphone. She pulled the older girl into a hug, closing her eyes.

“Ya did all this for me?” Misty whispered.

Cordelia pulled back to look Misty in the eyes. “You deserve it, sweetheart.” The term of endearment made Misty feel warm; she focused her attention on the living room again. 

“Damn, now I see why you took so long.” Misty blushed at the pretend stern look Cordelia gave her at the curse word. “Sorry.” She gazed into the dining room, eyeing the set table. “We expectin’ company?” 

“I might’ve invited a few of your friends. Just thought you’d want them here for your birthday dinner.” Cordelia held her hand out to stop the other girl when she tried to dive in for another hug. “Not right now, princess.” (If the pet names continued like this Misty wasn’t sure she’d survive). “I want to give you a present, first.” 

Cordelia lead Misty to the kitchen counter, where a pile of wrapped gifts sat neatly. “Ya really didn’t need to-”

Cordelia pressed her finger to Misty’s lips, silencing her. “No.” She didn’t say more; just picked up a present and placed it in Misty’s hands. Misty opened it carefully, not even tearing the gift wrap. Inside was a box, and inside the box was a shawl. It was black with flowers and tassels, and probably the most beautiful thing Misty had ever laid her eyes on. “It’s Stevie’s.” 

“What?!” Misty’s eyes danced with elation, removing the fabric from the box and sliding it over her shoulders. “Miss Cordelia, this must’ve cost a fortune. How’d ya even get it?” 

“Don’t worry about it. Do you like it?” Cordelia couldn’t keep the smile from her face as she watched Misty twirl a few times.

“I love it so so so much.” 

“I’m glad.” Cordelia paused. “You can hug me again now.” 

Misty did just that, thrusting herself into Cordelia’s arms with glee. They both melted comfortably into the embrace. Misty trailed her hands downwards, before grabbing Cordelia’s ass and squeezing and giggling. 

Cordelia squealed and jumped backwards. She felt much like a child, laughing in that girlish way she always seemed to lately. “What was that for?!”

“Nothin’, Miss Cordelia,” Misty replied innocently. 

The doorbell halted the response ready to leave Cordelia’s mouth. She walked briskly to the front door and let in Zoe, Kyle, and Madison. 

“What’s up, bitches?” Madison spoke as she stepped into the house. “Wow, little miss Cordelia’s richer than I thought. You’ve got a nice place.”

Cordelia only faltered slightly at the upfrontness of Madison’s attitude. “Thank you.” 

Uncomfortable silence then coated the room thickly, fortunately interrupted by Zoe exclaiming “Happy Birthday!” and pulling Misty into a hug. 

“Thanks, Zo! Can ya believe Miss Cordelia did all this?” Misty gestured at the decorations, and Zoe smiled approvingly.

“It looks really good, Cordelia.”

“Thank you”, again.

“Alright, let’s get this party started, or whatever. I got you a gift.” Madison handed Misty the plain black gift bag unceremoniously, but the look in her eyes made it obvious she was happy. 

“Me too.” Zoe handed Misty a box wrapped in paper printed with birthday cake drawings. 

“Me three, but I didn’t really know what to get.” Kyle held out a gift bag too, looking sheepish but endearing.

“Aw! Thank you all!” Misty smiled bright, then set the presents on the kitchen counter by Cordelia’s. 

“I ordered pizza. Should be here any minute.” Cordelia said, stepping slightly closer to Misty. Madison scoffed, and Misty looked over at the shorter blonde confusedly. 

“What?” 

“I need to talk to you.” Madison grumbled. She grabbed Misty by the arm and tugged her back out the front door, closing it behind them. “Cordelia is so fucking in love with you.”

“What?! Madison, no, she’s just real nice and-”

“Nope. Let me talk. I care about you, Mist, as much as I hate to admit it. And I’ve seen you two interact for no more than a minute and can already feel the sexual tension. Just make a fucking move. I think it’d be good for you.” Madison said the last sentence quietly and with a roll of her eyes.

“You’re sweet, Maddie. But do ya really think I should ‘make a move’?” Air quotes surrounded “make a move”.

Madison nodded.

“How?”

She smirked. “I’ve got some ideas.” 

 

Misty had just finished opening gifts from her friends (discluding Cordelia’s), and was radiating pure sunshine. Madison had gotten her a studded leather jacket (which Misty was uncertain about at first but soon after decided she loved it); Zoe had gotten her a new silver ring with a ruby; and Kyle had chosen a candle and a few bath bombs (which Zoe admitted to having helped picked). So yeah, she was pretty fucking cheerful.

“Cake?” Cordelia questioned, quirking an eyebrow at Misty.

“Yes please!” She said with enthusiasm. She, Kyle, Zoe, and Madison all sat around the table while Cordelia stuck gold candles in the cake. The seat right next to Misty’s was left empty. 

“Happy birthday-” Cordelia began singing as she entered with the cake. Everyone else joined in. Misty blew out the candles with a giggle and a clap, and Cordelia sat down and passed around slices.

They were talking- about school, maybe, or something else- when Cordelia felt the fingertips on her thigh. They rested there at first, still. Cordelia didn’t look down. She knew damn well who they belonged to. She did, however, risk a look at Misty, who was still perfectly engaged in the conversation. Misty’s fingers dragged lazy patterns on Cordelia’s skin, rising higher with each swirl and turn. And it was very, very distracting. A bit distressing too, really. 

The movements of Misty’s hand continued the entire time they finished up their cake. And as Zoe mentioned something about heading home, Misty scratched her short nails along the inner part of Cordelia’s thigh, and Cordelia let out a squeak that thankfully nobody noticed.

Misty got up to walk her three friends to the door. “Bye, guys! Thank ya for the best birthday yet!” She called to their retreating forms.

“Have a good birthday?” Cordelia asked. Misty turned to look her in the eyes.

“Ain’t that what I just said?” A smirk appeared on Misty’s lips. 

“You have this effect on me...” Cordelia said, trying her best not to sound anxious. “You literally drive me crazy. I don’t even think you know you’re doing it.” 

“Ya promised me more than cake.” Misty whispered. She stared into Cordelia’s eyes. 

The soft press of lips against hers was like nothing she could have imagined. 

It was brief, and cautious, but it felt like book-described kisses with metaphors of sparks flying. Misty was panting when she pulled away despite the brevity. It wasn’t her first kiss- but it was definitely her first kiss that made her feel something. Something she wanted to feel one million times over. Something she wanted to bottle up and never forget.

“Can I-” Misty was successfully winded, choking on her words. “Can we do that again?” 

Cordelia bit her lip and nodded, before kissing her again.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> updates will not usually be so far apart! apologies. i’m trapped in the haze that comes with the week between christmas and new years.

Misty felt drunk one million times over. She’d gotten drunk, just once, with Zoe, but hadn’t liked it much. It had made her feel as if she couldn’t control a thing she was doing.

Which, yes, was exactly the same feeling she was having now. 

Cordelia kissed with a level of expertise Misty couldn’t quite comprehend. Every press of lips against her own rendered her completely breathless. 

“I-” Misty began when they broke apart briefly. She was cut off by Cordelia’s hands against her shoulders, walking her backwards til her back hit the door. The older girl invaded every bit of Misty’s personal space. 

Every one of Misty’s senses was overrun by Cordelia. All she could taste, smell, feel: Cordelia. It wasn’t a problem, really. 

Their bodies pressed together in a way that had Misty’s insides burning. She felt so warm- no, hot- all over it was almost uncomfortable. But then Cordelia’s kisses trailed down her lips, to her jaw, and she decided nothing about this was uncomfortable. She gasped as Cordelia scraped her teeth gently at her neck. 

“Happy birthday,” Cordelia spoke softly, straightening herself. 

Misty, on the other hand, was having a lot of trouble putting together cohesive thoughts. She looked at Cordelia with confusion. “Why- why’d ya stop that?” 

Cordelia chuckled softly. “If I didn’t stop then I don’t think I ever would’ve been able to.” 

“I didn’t want ya to stop.” Misty said pointedly. 

Cordelia laughed again, and Misty stuck her bottom lip out like a pouting child. “I think we should talk about this, first.” 

“Alright. Let’s talk. I like ya, a lot. I’m gonna take a real good guess ‘n say that ya like me too. There we go.” 

Cordelia sighed, but nothing but adoration showed on her face. “Can I take you on a date tomorrow?” She settled for, knowing that Misty wasn’t entirely in the mood to have a conversation about their relationship (whatever it had just become).

Misty smiled, all angelic, and nodded curtly. “I’d like that very much.” 

Cordelia was suddenly swept in nervousness. Misty really did have a scary way of making her do things that she wouldn’t normally do. She could only thank God that Misty had reciprocated the kiss. (Well. More than one kiss). But. She wanted to make her date with Misty special, and was not going to let it be anything less than perfect. “Good. I, uh. I’m sorry. I was kind of spontaneous earlier.” 

“Well, I think ya know I liked it.” 

Cordelia bit her lip and looked down, somewhat shy. “I’m glad you did. I really like you, Misty.” 

“I like ya too.” Misty brushed a lock of hair behind Cordelia’s ear. “It’s funny, cuz I ain’t ever felt like this about anyone.” 

“Me neither.” Cordelia smiled timidly. 

“I don’t wanna mess anythin’ up.” Misty blurted. She appeared as if she hadn’t meant to say it, but didn’t say anything in attempt to disregard the statement.

“What? You could never.” Cordelia rested a hand on Misty’s upper arm.

“But, I,” Misty swallowed. “I ruin people.”

Cordelia blinked a few times in quick succession, trying to figure out if she’d really just heard what she thought she had. She gently tugged at Misty with the hand that was already on her skin, and Misty allowed herself to be pulled to the couch. “What do you mean, angel?” 

Angel. That was new. In spite of herself, Misty could feel the blush creeping over her face. Cordelia spoke to her like she was something ethereal; the stuff of fairytales. “Why do ya think my parents died?” 

Cordelia was thoroughly taken aback. She hadn’t expected this, but why? Misty’s grief had seemingly blown away like smoke since she’d painted Cordelia’s nails pink because it was a ‘happy color’. But Cordelia knew, from her own experience, that that wasn’t how it worked. “It’s not your fault.” It was unlikely Misty would be soothed by the comment, but Cordelia couldn’t not say it.

“How do ya know?” Misty’s voice broke on the last word, and she tucked her legs up to her chin. Cordelia wrapped an arm around the younger girl’s shoulders. 

“I know because you, Misty Day, are the most pure-hearted human being on this planet. You care about everyone. You go out of your way to make people happy. I’ll bet you one million dollars that there’s no one you’ve met who dislikes you. Except maybe the boy you punched in the face. But that asshole deserved it.” Cordelia leaned forward to inspect Misty’s facial expression. The blonde’s lips were quirked up, just slightly, and Cordelia grinned widely. 

“I don’t wanna keep thinkin’ about it,” Misty admitted. She leaned into Cordelia’s embrace. “But it’s like a whole piece of my brain’s dedicated to it now.” 

“I know, angel.” The terms of endearment made Misty feel better. “But even if it’s there forever, there’s going be a day when it won’t hurt so bad.” 

“I sure hope you’re right. I’d rather you take up all my brain, though.” She lifted her head and smiled sleepily. “That pretty face.” 

“You’re beautiful.” Cordelia said in response.

Misty ducked her head down again. “Not as beautiful as you.” 

“No.” 

Misty yawned.

“Let’s go to bed early tonight. That sound good?” Cordelia rubbed Misty’s back, then stood up.

“Mmhmm.” But Misty made no attempt to move, so Cordelia grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her upright. 

“Come on, princess. We’ll get a good night’s sleep, and then tomorrow I’m going to take you out and make sure you have as much fun as humanly possible.” She guided Misty towards the stairs, supporting a good portion of her weight with her body. It was as if speaking about the incident (for lack of a better word) had drained her completely, like a run-out battery. 

“More fun than tonight?” Misty questioned.

Cordelia’s mind only went to Misty’s emotional confessions, but then she thought of earlier and the beautifully happy look the younger girl had sported for most of the evening. “No promises. But I’ll try my best.” 

Misty yawned again. “You’re the best thing,” she murmured. 

Cordelia kissed her hair. “You're precious.”


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we’re gonna pretend it’s a zoo in which all the lil animals are treated super good okay ?!

Cordelia and Misty lounged around for most of the morning. They didn’t kiss again, simply because Cordelia was deathly afraid of rushing things and scaring the younger girl off. 

But.

When the clock hit eleven-thirty, Cordelia jumped up from her position on the couch, and pulled Misty with her. “Go get ready, you. Put something pretty on.” She muttered the words close to Misty’s face, and Misty could feel her whole body warm. 

Misty took the stairs two at a time, insanely excited for their ‘date’. She spent extra time on her eyeliner, drawing with precision she hadn’t thought she was capable of. She slipped on a black skirt- the shortest one she had- and a deep purple velvet tank top. Heeled black boots seemed like the best option regarding shoes, so she put them on, and bounded back down the stairs. 

“Miss Cordelia,” Misty sing-songed. The older girl looked up and tugged her bottom lip between her teeth. “Ain’t ya gotta get ready too?” 

“You look,” Cordelia leaned in to whisper in Misty’s ear. “So good.” 

“Stop it.” 

“Why?”

“You’re makin’ me all… Hot and bothered.” Misty took one step back, though it wasn’t even a few inches. 

Cordelia hummed. “Is that a bad thing?” 

“No.” Misty huffed. “It’s just, if ya wanna take me on this date of yours, we gotta leave the house, and…” 

“Oh.” 

There was silence, then Misty spoke teasingly. “So go get dressed, hot stuff.” 

 

Misty squealed when Cordelia opened the door to the diner. It was vintage themed- checked floors, red booths and all. “It’s so retro, Cordelia!” Misty had opted for dropping her usual ‘Miss’ at the front of Cordelia’s name. Cordelia wondered if it was because they were now further than friends, or because they were in public. 

“You like it?” Cordelia questioned with a giggle (prompted by Misty’s wide-eyed expression). 

Misty nodded. “You’re the best.” The younger blonde seemingly forgot where they were, or just didn’t care, and pressed a searing kiss smack on Cordelia’s lips. 

“Misty!” Cordelia squeaked. 

Misty laughed. “Sorry. I couldn’t help it.” 

“It’s alright, baby.” Baby. Misty was definitely not going to be able to live through this. Cordelia, however, was oblivious to the blush on Misty’s cheeks. 

“Just you two?” The waitress suddenly appeared. 

“Yes.” 

“Follow me.” 

They were seated in the corner of the little restaurant. “Can I get a milkshake?” 

“Of course.” Cordelia replied. She glanced over her menu. 

“Thank ya for all this.” Misty said, somewhat solemn. Cordelia looked up to see the younger girl with her eyes cast downwards, fidgeting with her hands.

“You don’t always have to say thank you.” Cordelia placed a hand over one of Misty’s, bemused. “I know you’re grateful.” 

“Sorry, it’s just. No one's ever done so much for me before.” 

“You already know I’m happy to do everything in my power to make you content.” Cordelia thought the words cheesy as soon as they left her mouth, but Misty’s face lit up.

“I’m so glad I met you.” 

 

After the pair were filled with vanilla milkshakes and french fries, Cordelia began driving a route Misty didn’t recognize. “Where are we goin’?” 

“I’m not telling you! It’s a surprise.” Cordelia grinned and turned the volume of Rhiannon up to hopefully deter Misty from asking the question again. 

“Fine.” There was a short pause. “How long til we get there?” 

“Thirty minutes. Can you handle it?” 

Misty wriggled around in her seat as if trying to get comfortable. “Ya better make it worth my while, Miss Cordelia.” Her tone of voice was sugar-sweet, and ah- the title was back. 

“You bet I will.” 

Misty’s only response was joining in with Stevie’s singing. 

 

“A zoo?!” Misty was holding Cordelia’s hand and essentially dragging her towards the entrance. “I’ve never been to one of these before!”

“You’ve never been to the zoo?” Cordelia asked incredulously. 

“No. Don’t know why…” 

Cordelia paid and they set off. Of course, Misty was immediately torn between getting ice cream and seeing the animals first.

“You just had a milkshake.” Cordelia pointed out. Misty bit her lip, gazing at the ice cream place and then the sign that pointed towards the elephants. 

“But it’s mighty hot out here, Miss Cordelia.” 

“O-kay. Come on.” Cordelia grabbed Misty by the arm and gently lead her towards the ice cream shop. “Vanilla?” 

“Mhm.” 

“Two scoops of vanilla in a cone.” Cordelia addressed the employee now. Misty smiled gloriously, and thanked both said employee and Cordelia when she was handed her dessert. 

Fingers intertwined again, they made their way towards the elephants. And- cliché as it may be- Cordelia couldn’t take her eyes off of Misty. Something about the younger girl glowed when she was around living things. It was like she radiated light, and Cordelia would’ve gladly been sucked in. She was pretty sure she already was. The very internal monologue currently distracting her was proof of it.

“Cordelia!” Misty whined. Cordelia blinked, breaking from her reverie. “Ya weren’t listenin’, were ya?” 

“Sorry.” Cordelia responded pitifully. 

Misty just smiled. “It’s alright. I was just talkin’ about how darn cute that one is!” She pointed a finger towards a baby elephant. The lavender nail polish had chipped since last week, and Cordelia reminded herself to later ask if Misty wanted it redone. 

She followed Misty’s train of vision. “He’s cute, but I think you’re cuter.” Cordelia watched as Misty’s adorable embarrassment showed obviously on her features. “Now I’m going to guess you want to see everything-” Misty nodded, “-so we can’t spend too much time looking at each animal okay?”

“Why not?” 

“I’ve got something else planned for afterwards.” She smirked. “So, leopards?”


	18. Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoops!

As in turns out, the last surprise was a trip to the drive-in movie theatre, to keep up with the vintage theme (Cordelia said). And the only film that’s timing lined up with theirs was, in fact, a horror film. Cordelia was slightly skeptical considering all that Misty had been through, however the movie looked to have a crazy unrealistic plot involving aliens and such. 

“This might be a little scary,” Cordelia whispered, leaning over as the movie began. 

“I like scary movies.” Misty replied, eyes glued to the screen. 

“Okay.” 

But Misty jumped once the music started.

“You sure about that, princess?” Cordelia smirked softly, and took Misty’s hand in hers. 

“I like ‘em! I swear it!” Misty was still looking at the scene taking place- some sort of freaky alien abduction- but she squeezed Cordelia’s hand tightly. 

“Well, do you want me to go get popcorn?” 

“No!” The answer left her so quickly Misty flushed with embarrassment. “I mean, if ya want.” 

“You can come with me.” 

“Oh. Alright.” The two stepped out of the car and retrieved a big bag of popcorn and a giant paper cup of Coca Cola. 

“God, don’t drink all of that,” Cordelia said as she settled back into her seat. “You won’t sleep at all tonight.” 

Misty released the straw from her mouth, looking guilty. “Sorry.” 

Cordelia laughed quietly. “It’s okay, just don’t blame me when you show up to class tired.” 

Misty half groaned, half whined. “I forgot I gotta go back to school tomorrow.” She took another long sip from her drink.

“Don’t you like seeing all your friends?” 

“Well, yeah. But I like bein’ with you.” The movie was now simply background noise as they looked each other in the eyes. 

“I like being with you, too.” Cordelia leaned in, and grazed Misty’s cheek with her fingertips. 

They both jolted back with shock at a high pitched scream- from the movie, thankfully, but it was enough for their hearts to beat extra fast for a reason besides their proximity.

Cordelia giggled. “Guess I’m not too good at horror movies either.” 

“I told ya, Miss Cordelia, I-” Misty gasped with excessive loudness as she stared at the screen. “What the hell happened to her face?” She clutched at Cordelia’s cardigan-covered arm. 

“I think it got smashed in…” 

“By the aliens?” 

“Maybe?”

“This is awfully confusing.” Cordelia opened her mouth to tease the younger girl, and as if she could sense it, Misty continued: “I still like it, though.” 

“Right…” The word was long and drawn out. Misty rolled her eyes, but kept her death-grip on Cordelia. 

“I do! Shut up!” 

This time when Cordelia spoke, she was leaned over again, unbearably (but not) close to Misty’s ear. “Make me.” 

Misty inhaled shakily. She turned her head so they were face-to-face; set down her drink and tucked a strand of honey-blonde hair behind Cordelia’s ear. “If you say so,” she breathed. Then she leaned in and kissed Cordelia, nerves pumping through her veins. The anxiety flooded her likely due to the fact that this was the first time she’d really tried kissing the older girl. The first time, it was all Cordelia. And earlier, at the diner, it was impulsive and involved no thought. But now, now she was trying so hard to make it perfect she was scared she was doing the opposite. 

However, when she pulled back hesitantly, Cordelia appeared at least partly dazed. “Woah. You’re good at that,” she said, sounding like a dumbfounded version of herself.

“Am I?” Misty asked. Her tone was playful, but she was genuinely curious.

“Mhm. You can do that to me whenever you want.” 

Misty’s eyes gleamed as a wide smile took over her face. “Really?”

“Oh, yeah.” 

 

They stayed separate for the rest of the movie, save for held hands. 

“Guess we’d better go grab your stuff, and then head back to Robichaux’s.” Cordelia punctuated the sentence with a tap to Misty’s nose.

The younger girl sighed. “I don’t wanna.” 

“I know, I know. But we have next weekend all to ourselves too!” Cordelia ran a finger from Misty’s knee to her upper thigh. 

“I guess you’re right…” Misty sighed again. 

Cordelia drove one handed so she didn’t have to drop Misty’s. 

 

“It’s only nine,” Misty said, as they slumped down on the couch.

“You’ve gotta get a good night’s sleep for tomorrow.” Cordelia reasoned, though she didn’t make any move to get up. Misty rested her head on the other girl’s shoulder.

“I’m not tired.” 

“You will be when your alarm goes off.” Cordelia tugged one of her hands through Misty’s curls. 

Misty couldn’t easily think of a protest to that. Just then, Stevie hopped up onto the couch, and sat herself on Misty’s lap. The blonde stroked her white fur lazily. “Look, Miss Cordelia. Now I can’t move.” 

“Well, shit. I guess we’re both gonna have to skip tomorrow.” 

Misty laughed, light and airy and adorable. “Yep.” 

“And I, for one, am tired.” Cordelia snuggled into Misty’s side.

“I wish somethin’ would happen so we didn’t have to go. Like, a big ole snowstorm or somethin’.” 

“It’s just now autumn.” 

“I know. I’m just sayin’.” 

“I know, angel.” 

They sat like that, Cordelia’s eyes shut, for a good five minutes before a sharp rap at the door both interrupted and terrified them. The horror film they’d seen earlier certainly didn’t help. 

“Who…?” Cordelia muttered, mostly to herself, as she got up and walked to the door. She opened it without looking. A mistake she’d certainly never make again. “Holy shit, what the hell are you doing here?” 

“Miss Cordelia-” Misty quieted as she stepped behind the older girl and met eyes with the person on the other side of the door. 

“Misty, go upstairs.” Cordelia tried desperately to keep her voice level.

“No, I’m stayin’ with you.” Misty honest-to-God hadn’t a clue who the man was who was staring her down, but she wasn’t going to leave her… girlfriend? No, they’d talk about it later… alone with him. Not when he looked so menacing.

The man stepped into the house, pushing past Cordelia, focus still on Misty.

“Misty. Do what I say.” Cordelia said coldly. It was her teacher voice, Misty noticed. The one she used for misbehaving students. 

“You know Delia, I thought killing her parents would be enough.” The man spoke. Misty released an awful sounding whimper, but she stood in place. 

Cordelia’s mind raced. “What the hell, Hank?!” She moved backwards towards her phone, which she was decently sure was on the coffee table. 

“I saw the way you looked at her. Last year, at every fucking event you dragged me to. Even the first time you met. Don’t look at me like that, I know you remember.” 

Cordelia looked from Hank to Misty (who was shaking) rapidly. She took another step back.

“Don’t fucking move.” That’s when Cordelia noticed the gun- shiny in Hank’s right hand. She pondered screaming, but then she looked at Misty again. The young blonde was more important than anything right now. She couldn’t risk her getting hurt. “Now tell me you remember.”

And Cordelia didn’t remember. Until she reached into the very back of her brain.

 

*Last year, after the first-day-of-school introductory speech*

“Miss Cordelia?”

Cordelia turned at the sweet accented voice, and smiled when she was met with the face of a blonde girl she didn’t recognize. Which, of course she wouldn’t. “Yes?”

“I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m takin’ botany with ya. My name’s Misty.” Misty held out a pale hand adorned with a multitude of silver rings, and Cordelia shook it gingerly.

“It is very nice to meet you, Misty.” 

“I’m real excited about the class,” Misty gushed. “I love plants. All living creatures, really.” 

“That’s so good to hear. I’m sure I’m just as excited as you are.” A sharp jab of an elbow to her ribs ripped Cordelia from Misty’s radiating warmth. Hank. He cleared his throat, and glanced down at Cordelia’s hand, which was still connected with Misty’s. She hadn’t even noticed.

Misty, though, seemed to get the message. She stepped back, smiling and waving before disappearing back into the crowds of people.

 

*Present day*

Tears were falling down Cordelia’s face. Hank held the gun up, pointing it straight at Misty’s skull. 

“I thought, if I killed her parents, she’d switch schools at the very least. But instead, it brought you closer together,” Hank growled.

“Why are you doing this?” Cordelia’s breathing was ragged as the crying turned to sobbing. “Don’t lay a finger on her or I’ll kill you.” How she’d manage that, she didn’t know, but she’d sure as hell find a way.

“I just want to be with you, baby.” 

“Bullshit.” Cordelia stole another look at Misty. The younger girl had never looked more broken than in that moment. Her shoulders had hunched forward, and her entire body looked ready to collapse. 

Hank cocked the gun, and Cordelia couldn’t breathe, but thank God she could move. She did the only thing she could. She tackled Hank, jumping on him with all her weight. A shot sounded in the silence of the house as Hank pulled the trigger, followed by a loud scream. Cordelia didn’t look back as she forced him to the ground. She stepped on his chest harshly, keeping him down, and grabbed the gun from his hand. 

Without hesitation, she pointed it between Hank’s eyes, and pulled the trigger.

A second shot rang out in the night, and all Cordelia could think of was Misty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do not worry u guys i’d never hurt you by killing off either of my bbs!!! there’s just gotta be a tinyy plot at least besides fluff ;)


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew am i sorry that took so long!! it was hard to find the time and energy to research bullet wounds and self defense shootings, and even with all my work this probably isn’t super realistic. apologies, but i tried my best :)

The beeping of the heart monitor was all that was keeping Cordelia sane. She wrung and unwrung her hands, and gazed at her pale fingers. 

She could have sworn there was still blood under her nails. 

It was hazy in her memory- the way she clung to Misty’s body whilst waiting for the authorities to arrive. She could remember whispering to the younger girl, who was barely grappling at consciousness, promising everything would be fine.

And it was fine, really. Misty survived. The bullet had hit her in the abdomen but hadn’t gone deep enough to hit an organ. The doctors told Cordelia over and over that it was a miracle, and that usually gunshot wounds to that area of the body resulted in damage to at least one important thing, but somehow the older girl’s breathing would not calm.

A knock at the door had Cordelia sitting up straight, eyes locking with a nurse and a man in a suit. “Detective’s here to speak with you. How’s Miss Day?”

Cordelia glanced over at the blonde in question, expression somewhat pained. Misty’s eyes were closed. Her chest rose and fell steadily. She would have looked completely at peace if it hadn’t been for the IV in her arm and the tubes in her nose. “She’s asleep,” Cordelia said, deadpan. The nurse smiled nervously.

“Right. I’ll leave you to it, then.” 

The man stepped in further. Cordelia gestured at the empty chair next to herself, seeing as there was nowhere else to sit. She fidgeted with her fingers. Cordelia knew she wouldn’t be arrested- Hank had shot Misty, it was self defense- but something inside of her still felt uneasy. 

“Detective George Dirnt.” The man held out his hand. Cordelia shook it weakly. 

“I trust you already know who I am,” Cordelia replied, attempting a small grin. 

He attempted one in response, failing to quell her anxiety. Cordelia knew she looked like a complete mess. Misty’s blood was on her shirt and her hair was a mess and her makeup was smudged all over her face from the on-and-off crying she’d partaken in since the incident. “Indeed. Miss Cordelia Goode.” He looked at her for confirmation.

“Yes, sir.” 

“Now it is plain to see what happened, there’s no need for you to be worried. We spoke to people confirming you would not harm Miss Day, and the security footage from your front porch shows only Mr. Renard entering, thus proving who shot who. The DA is not going to be pressing charges, this was a clear self defense shooting. You may know Mr. Renard’s only family member, his father, passed about a year ago. There will be no charges there either,” George explained, keeping steady eye contact. “I know this entire ordeal must have been very troubling for you to witness. If you would like us to station someone outside your home this evening…?”

“I’m staying here. They’re not letting her go home til Tuesday.” Cordelia gazed wistfully at Misty; longed to brush a loose curl from her face. She was seated too far away. 

“Alrighty. I’ll give you my card, just in case you need anything. Do not hesitate to call.” George pulled a card from his wallet, and handed it to Cordelia as he stood. “Thank you for your time,” he said as a goodbye, and left the room. 

Cordelia could feel the tears prickling her eyes the second the door shut. She stood too, striding forward to Misty’s hospital bed in two wide steps. She touched her cheek gently. Misty didn’t stir. “I’m so sorry, princess,” Cordelia murmured. “This is all my fault. But I promise to protect you for as long as I live, if you’ll let me. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.” 

Another sharp rap at the door, and Cordelia didn’t even turn. 

“Miss Goode, it’s late. You should get some rest.” It was the same nurse from before, looking just as nervous. Cordelia did turn now, but didn’t bother trying to appear extra friendly. 

“I can't leave her,” Cordelia almost-whimpered. She absolutely hated how pitiful she sounded. 

The nurse nodded in understanding. “I’ll go get approval from the doctor, but I think we can transport her to a room with another bed for tonight, out of post-op. The only real reason we’ve got to keep her is to make sure she doesn’t move too much, it will hurt the wound.” 

“Thank you.” 

“I’ll be right back.” 

 

As it turns out, after something barely short of an hour, Misty was allowed to be moved. So there she and Cordelia lay, in side-by-side beds. Misty was still asleep, but Cordelia was blinking up at the dark ceiling. Her thoughts wouldn’t silence enough to let her rest. She stayed like that for thirty minutes before the figure in the bed next to her stirred. Cordelia shot up. The bed creaked unpleasantly at her abrupt movement. “Misty?” 

The younger girl groaned, raising her hand as if to rub her eyes. Instead, she grimaced in pain and let it rest at her side again. 

Cordelia was now practically on Misty’s bed. “Misty, baby?” 

Misty blinked her eyes open quickly, eyebrows furrowing. “Miss Cordelia? Where am I?” 

“Oh.” Cordelia couldn’t contain her tears as she leaned forward, first going in for a hug but then settling for a kiss on the forehead. “Oh God, I knew you were going to be okay, but some part of me thought it too good to be true.” 

Misty seemingly ignored Cordelia’s statements. She pouted and puckered her lips. Cordelia let out a watery laugh and she leant forward and kissed Misty gently, doing her best to be wary of the oxygen tubes. “I’m in the hospital, ain’t I?” 

Cordelia nodded, and bit her lip.

“You can tell me what happened. I’m alright, see? All flesh ‘n bones.” Misty wiggled her fingers. 

“Hank showed up at my door. My, uh, ex husband. He-” Cordelia inhaled shakily. “He shot you. In the side, and it’s damn near impossible for a hit like that not to fuck up your entire body but you managed. You’re a miracle, Misty. My miracle.” 

“I ain’t goin’ nowhere,” Misty reminded her. “It’s real annoyin’ I can't move, though. I wanna kiss ya til ya feel all better.” 

Cordelia blushed despite herself. “You won’t be allowed to move much for a while, I’m afraid. Bedrest bedrest bedrest. Should have you out of here by Tuesday and then we can go home.” 

Misty smiled brightly. Much too bright for someone who’d only hours ago taken a bullet, Cordelia thought, but she really shouldn’t have expected anything else from Misty Day. 

“The doctors are going to come take your vitals soon. Think you can stay awake?” 

“Mhm. So long as ya keep talkin’ to me. Mmm, and touchin’ my hair like that.” 

Cordelia stilled the hand in Misty’s hair- she hadn’t even realized it was there. Misty whined in protest and she resumed, dragging her nails softly along the younger girl’s scalp.

“Don’t think I’m lettin’ ya get off with just part of the story, though. I’m just not askin’ right now cuz I don’t wanna make you talk about it. There was definitely more than just Hank walkin’ into our house and shootin’ me.” Misty’s tongue tripped over the words, accent exponentially heightened. There was something sweet about it, though, and the way she said ‘our house’ made Cordelia’s heart warm in a way that was nearly painful. 

“The Fleetwood Mac concert is coming up,” Cordelia said, changing the subject smoothly. Misty lit up and began talking of Stevie Nicks, of course. Cordelia just half-smiled, half-winced, and braced herself for what was to come.


End file.
